Great Yarmouth Borough Council is on the search to find helpful people within local communities right across the borough to become Community Champions– a new important volunteer role supporting healthy communities to thrive.The Community Champions’ Programme aims to develop new networks of trusted local champions who can help support those most at risk from COVID-19, building trust, communicating accurate health information and ultimately help to save lives.
This includes ensuring the right information is available at grass-roots level to help boost vaccine take up.With the support of Norfolk Public Health and the NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group, the council secured funding from the Government’s Community Champions scheme, via the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to enhance its COVID-related community engagement and communications work with all communities.
What will the Community Champions do?
The Community Champions will tap into their local networks to provide advice about COVID-19 and vaccines in the first instance, and longer term will help promote healthy lifestyle information supporting GP practices, Primary Care Networks, the NHS Norfolk and Waveney CCG and Norfolk Public Health.Specifically, the Programme aims to reach groups such as older people, disabled people, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds who according to the latest evidence are more likely to suffer long-term impacts and poor outcomes from COVID-19.As well as helping to ensure important advice reaches as many people as possible, Community Champions will also be invited to participate in regular ‘Community Check Ins’ – virtual community information-sharing sessions, where they will have the chance to speak with the Communities Team and those leading the COVID response locally.
Who can become a Community Champion?
The council is keen to hear from anyone aged over 18, who lives or works in the borough and can spare some time to help out. Through the Community Champions’ Programme, a network of trusted “go to people” across the community, will be supported by the council and health partners to make a difference by helping to share the latest trusted health and well-being information with their local community, via friends, family, neighbours.
Discover more and sign up
Find out more and sign up here
You can also email gycc@great-yarmouth.gov.ukor call the Great Yarmouth Community Helpline on 0808 196 2236 if you would like help to apply or to discuss the role further. Please forward this e-shot to anyone you think might be interested in becoming a Community Champion.