Student initiative recruiting Warwick students to support NHS workers

An initiative has been launched in Coventry and Warwickshire to support NHS staff and is currently recruiting Warwick students to help out.

National Health Supporters, a nationwide initiative, has launched a programme in Coventry and Warwickshire which aims to support NHS workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Students from the University of Warwick are being recruited to help out with childcare, pet sitting and grocery shopping for NHS workers who are currently facing long working hours.

Speaking to The Boar, Lauren Turner, head of communications for the Coventry and Warwickshire branch of the initiative, said that the aim of the programme was “to utilise medical students as volunteers to help NHS workers.

“We are now looking to include all students, not just medical students or those from the University of Warwick.”

When asked how students from the University who do not study medicine can help out, Ms Turner replied: “Currently all of our volunteers are postgraduates but we are now looking to expand to all students.

We are now looking to include all students, not just medical students or those from the University of Warwick

National Health Supporters

“We started with medical students because they all have DBS checks so they can help out with childcare. Other students can be given tasks such as getting prescriptions and doing grocery shopping for NHS workers.

“Our Facebook page has an application form that allows us to sort students into different groups. These different groups will be given different tasks based upon their application.”

The initiative has currently recruited 200 students since its launch and is seeing a “continuous influx” of more volunteers. There are 40 group across the country totalling 15,000 volunteers.

Ms Turner also added that students that have left campus already should “use the NHS support service page to see how their local group has been organised”.

When asked how the initiative would work after more stringent measures have been introduced by the government to enforce social distancing, Lauren said that they are “keen to stick to government advice”.

“There will always be a need for this initiative and other types of community support. We are currently working closely with the local hub of volunteers, police and government workers.

“It is important to keep this network a group of united volunteers.”

The Facebook group with the application process can be found here.