Volunteer drivers with HMR Circle invited to receive Covid-19 vaccine

Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale (HMR) Circle Volunteer Drivers Service

Volunteer drivers with social enterprise HMR Circle have been invited to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, with virtually all drivers having received a first dose.

Invited as health and social care staff, 26 drivers have now been vaccinated with their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccination at Rochdale Infirmary.

Drivers with the HMR Circle Volunteer Drivers Service have been helping older residents throughout the pandemic with emergency food parcels, assistance with shopping, delivering medicines and transportation to medical appointments.

Mark Wynn, director of HMR Circle, said: “The HMR Circle Volunteer Drivers Service has been invited to join the vaccination programme for occupational immunisation of health and social care staff to protect people at higher risk of exposure.

“Our active volunteer drivers have all been invited to get the jab with virtually all having already been done. All report no major ill effects.

“Everyone praised the efficiency and swiftness of the immunisation service and how quickly they were processed.”

Previously called the Volunteer Driver Scheme, the initiative was established in 2008 to respond to the needs of local older people who required a flexible, responsive, and affordable service. It was originally setup to help people aged 50 and over by providing door to door trips to medical appointments and social activities across the borough.

HMR Circle took over the Volunteer Driver Service (VDS) in February 2018 and since then, the service users have increased; being recognised as a vital service for the elderly, vulnerable and isolated members of our community, providing an accessible and affordable transport service across the borough and beyond.