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Sophie volunteers to help at vaccination centre

The Countess of Wessex has begun volunteering at a vaccination centre in support of the Covid-19 jab rollout.

Sophie is a St John Ambulance care volunteer and joined other helpers at a centre in south-west London after completing her training.

It is understood she was keen to work in a practical way as St John Ambulance supports the mass vaccination programme, and she is said to be proud to have joined the charity’s growing team of volunteers.

During her first shift Sophie, who is the Grand President of St John Ambulance, was pictured chatting to a vaccine recipient she accompanied during the process, providing reassurance and information throughout.

Sophie talking about the vaccination with a member of the public (Daniel Lewis/ St John Ambulance)
Sophie talking about the vaccination with a member of the public (Daniel Lewis/ St John Ambulance)

A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said: “Like many of our existing and long-standing volunteers, the Countess of Wessex has completed the required training to become a care volunteer in support of the NHS vaccination programme.

“We’re delighted to welcome the Countess, as the Grand President of St John Ambulance, to a growing team of over 10,000 volunteers who are now trained and being deployed to NHS vaccination centres all over England, in an extraordinary collective effort to beat the pandemic.”

St John Ambulance is helping deliver the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme working with NHS partners across England and expects to train around 30,000 vaccination volunteers by the spring.

Sophie privately volunteered with a range of organisations last summer.