With coronavirus cases remaining high in Somerset, a new call has been issued this week for people to become Covid community champions.
There are well over 100 trained champions in place since the initiative was launched in October 2020, sharing messages about Covid-19 and how to stay healthy, happy and safe.
The scheme is funded by Somerset County Council and delivered through a partnership between Spark Somerset and the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership.
After attending an online induction, the champions can help workmates, family, friends and the community understand the latest guidance around Covid-19 and signpost them to health and wellbeing support.
Covid Community Champions can attend regular meetings to get to know other champions, keep up to date with the latest information and feedback about how things are going where they live and work.
Professor Trudi Grant, Somerset director of public health, says: “Somerset has seen a significant rise in Covid cases in recent weeks. With the added challenges of winter and the shortage of social care staff, it is important we all take steps to try and reduce the spread of Covid-19.”
“Covid Community Champions have already done a lot of good work in helping raise awareness on how to limit the spread of the virus and have an important role to play as we head into the winter months.”
Cllr Clare Paul, Somerset County Council cabinet member for public health, adds: “I would like to thank our Covid Community Champions for their excellent work in supporting their local communities over the past year.”
“As people head back into their work settings, it would be fantastic if we could recruit more Covid Community Champions to represent their workplaces and help keep their colleagues up-to-date with the latest information and guidance.”
And Helen Fielden, Covid Champion Coordinator at Spark, says: “The existing Covid Community Champions have done such a great job of helping to keep their communities happy and healthy over the past year. Anyone is welcome to join the team, as long as they are caring and able to share information from the regular updates.”
One of Somerset’s Covid Community Champions says: “The main benefit is understanding the best ways to prevent Covid-19, being able to share this with my work colleagues and their families.”
“By becoming a Covid Community Champion, I was perhaps able to help stop the spread of the virus. Learning about vaccines, tests and the science behind the virus has made it much more interesting and understandable. Everyone at work is much more confident, as they have knowledge, anxiety has reduced, the biggest contributor was the unknown.”
For more information, please contact Helen Fielden, Covid Community Champion Coordinator by emailing helen.fielden@sparksomerset.org.uk or call 07535 800944.
