St John Ambulance has today confirmed it has been approached to potentially train up thousands of volunteers to administer a COVID-19 vaccine.
This was first indicated to be the case in a Daily Mail report yesterday evening.
The paper reported that it has seen leaked plans for volunteers with no previous medical experience – the only criteria needed being that the volunteer is between the age of 18 and 69, have at least two or more A-Levels or equivalent, be at low risk of COVID-19, and be prepared to undergo a reference check – to be trained to administer the injections and potentially deal with any immediate adverse reactions.
It comes after last month when the legalities over who can administer a vaccine were extended.
This now includes independent nurses, allied healthcare professionals, paramedics, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and student nurses and doctors.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at the time: “These legal changes will help us in doing everything we can to make sure we are ready to roll out a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it has passed clinical trials and undergone rigorous checks by the regulator.”
Now, it has been today confirmed by the CEO of St John Ambulance today that the non-governmental organisation has been approached.
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Confirming that it had been asked to train extra vaccine volunteers, Richard Lee – CEO at St John Ambulance – said: “During the COVID-9 pandemic, St John volunteers have already given hundreds of thousands of hours of their time, supporting the NHS in caring for patients on board ambulances, in hospitals and as part of vital community projects such as this year’s seasonal flu vaccinations, and that work continues.”
He continued: “St John Ambulance is proud to have been asked to support NHS staff in getting ready to deliver a COVID-19 vaccination programme when one becomes available.
“Our role includes sourcing vaccinators within the new regulations set out by government and delivering official training from Public Health England, as well as recruiting many thousands more people in patient-facing support roles, such as patient advocates and first aiders at vaccination sites.”
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As well as vaccination volunteers, St John Ambulance is also recruiting “vaccination care volunteers”.
The role includes: “Supporting patients before or after their vaccination, providing reassurance and potentially dealing with medical emergencies.”
Just like the vaccine volunteers, all applicants who apply for St John Ambulance roles must be between the ages of 18 and 69, be at a low risk of contracting COVID-19, and must undergo and pass necessary reference checks.
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The viral factory in Oldham that sells £2 Colin the Caterpillar cakes
Thomas Melia
A factory in Oldham has gone viral online after sweet fiends discover they sell ‘Colin the Caterpillar’ cakes for less than half price.
There are some things that just go hand in hand: a brew and a biscuit, peanut butter and jelly and Brits and their crazy obsession with a character chocolate cake from M&S called Colin the Caterpillar.
Since hitting the shelves in 1990, more than 15 million Colin the Caterpillars have made their way from supermarket shop floor to our sweet-treat-awaiting plates.
Who would’ve ever guessed that the home to this cheeky chappy, who M&S have made their unofficial mascot (after Percy Pig, of course), has been crafted and created right here in Oldham?
The utterly delicious Colin the Caterpillar cake which you can get for £2 at Park Cakes.The shelves at Park Cakes are stacked with Colins and Connies.Credit: The Manc Eats
Established in 1937, The Park Cake Bakeries – or just Park Cakes, colloquially – has been serving up this critter-inspired cake for over 30 years, and savvy shoppers have flocked to their factory shop to get their hands on some very sweet savings.
There’s a whole range of cakes on offer at this Oldham dessert factory shop, including slabs, sponges, loaves and even sweet pies too.
Whether you’re a firm believer that the birthday person deserves all of Colin’s white-choc face or you precisely cut it up so everyone gets some, Park Cakes has the solution, selling bags of the character’s chocolatey face so you can have one all to yourself.
The cake isn’t the only thing that leaves a sweet taste in your mouth, as the prices will too. Colin the Caterpillar, who normally retails for just under a tenner, is sold for around £2 at this Oldham factory shop.
It’s always the ones that look unassuming, isn’t it?
Alongside producing one of the most adored cakes in the UK, they’re also responsible for lots more of your favourite supermarket sweet treats, and we’re definitely not complaining.
You can let your sweet tooth go wild in this factory shop as they sell everything from rainbow birthday cakes to sticky toffee puddings.
There’s so much on offer too, how about a giant bag packed to the brim with misshapen golden flapjacks that’ll last you over a week and cost you less than a fiver? Sounds like a plan to me.
If you haven’t had enough of your Easter chocolate fix, why not trek over to Oldham and stock up on even more chocolate and sweet treats? Trust us, there’s plenty to choose from.
Park Cakes factory shop can be found on Ashton Road in Oldham and is open from 10am-4pm, so go and grab yourself a seriously sweet deal before everyone else beats you to it.
Mini Colins, small in size but still packed with all that chocolatey goodness.Flapjacks and cookie dough bites are just some of the wonderful treats you might be able to get hold of.Credit: The Manc
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Adam Higgin (via Facebook)
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The ‘headphone dodger’ proposal that could see people who play loud music on public transport fined
Danny Jones
A group of politicians are calling for people who play music and videos out loud on public transport to be fined, and not just a small fee, either. How about a grand?…
Yes, a new idea floated by members of the Liberal Democrats would see so-called ‘headphone dodgers’ hit with a penalty of a whopping penalty of up to £1,000.
Obviously, the idea would need government backing in order to make it through as an official bill, but it seems several Labour and Conservative MPs agree, and the suggestion alone already has caused plenty of online discussion.
Should 'headphone dodgers' who play loud music and videos on public transport face a fine of £1,000?
Sparking quite the water-cooler conversation too, the proposal is something that clearly taps into a fairly common nuisance among the general public and one that has increased in the era of smartphones, tablets and so on.
While it’s definitely something people can relate to, and the highly reactionary idea of charging them such a large sum of money, many on social media have noted that while the concept is one they can get behind, the figure seems excessive to most.
The no-headphone fine would apply to those playing music and video out loud on buses, trains and trams at what would generally be considered an obnoxious volume; if given the green light, this rule would be included in the railway byelaws and the current ‘Bus Services Bill‘ amended.
It has been suggested that a potential national campaign deterring this kind of behaviour would follow, with the party arguing plainly that commuters deserve to “enjoy a moment of peace.”
A similar policy has emerged regarding drivers as well.
This push from the Lib Dems comes after they commissioned a poll which found that “more than half of Brits said they would not feel empowered to ask somebody to turn down their music” while on board public transport, with over a third confessing they’ve come across the issue before.
Lisa Smart, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said: “Far too many people dread their daily commute because of the blight of antisocial behaviour — and headphone dodgers playing loud music on buses and trains are some of the worst offenders.”
She went on to add, “It’s time to take a stand for the quiet majority who just want to get from A to B in peace.” It is believed that both politicians in power and members of the opposition have already expressed support for the idea, even if specifics like the severity of the fine are up for debate.
The Manc -
17th November 2020 
