Volunteers are desperately needed to help Slough get tested and vaccinated - as the town responds to the latest phase of the Covid-19 crisis.

The One Slough partnership – made up of the borough council, Slough Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS) and local charity and voluntary organisations – needs people to help support the vaccination programme and to support the roll out of the community rapid testing programme due in the next couple of weeks.

Ketan Gandhi, assistant director at Slough Borough Council with responsibility for One Slough said: “We urgently need volunteers. No qualifications are required – just the ability to help people, smile, be out at the vaccination or the community testing centres; whether it be for a day, a couple of hours or even every day.

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“If you are furloughed, out of work, waiting to go back to university or just got a bit of spare time please step forward.”

Ramesh Kukar from SCVS, said: “The volunteers in Slough have been amazing so far – dedicated, giving and relentless in their help to vulnerable people.

“But with calls from all sides for more help – in particular for the new vaccinations centres and community testing sites – we simply need more people.

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“People are eager to support the NHS at their most difficult time – and this is a way you can. So if you can help please sign up to be a local star.”

Anyone interested should log on to https://oneslough.org.uk/volunteer/ and complete the online form.

Any volunteer will be provided with appropriate equipment including PPE for the work they are asked to do.

Vaccination centres are already running in Slough. The new mass rapid testing is expected to roll out over the next couple of weeks at both static and mobile sites.