“I just want to give something back,” said Lucy, who was greatly supported by the NHS in the past. She also described the whole experience as extremely emotional, especially when meeting and helping the seniors who have been worried about their health for nearly a year now. “The whole thing was an incredibly humbling experience. The elderly people that come in are so grateful, some of them said: ‘I feel like you’re giving my life back‘”.
James King, the co-founder and COO of Yobota, adds “We are very proud of Lucy’s desire to use her skills in helping end the effects of this pandemic and we want to be supportive. The Government’s Flexible Furlough scheme provides companies a means to release colleagues for these valuable volunteering efforts without the employee having to use their holiday entitlement or the employee or employer having to accept what can be prohibitive financial cost. I would strongly encourage other businesses to support their team members that want to help out by using this scheme“.
The coronavirus has changed the way we live in a fundamental way. Things that we took for granted – like in-person socialising, visiting family, travelling or even sharing the simple watercooler conversation with colleagues remain unavailable until we solve this global challenge.
At Yobota, we sincerely hope that Lucy’s example can inspire others to think about how they can help, and consider taking action. No effort is too small and can truly make a difference for those who need our help the most.
- To find out more about St. John Ambulance volunteering opportunities, visit https://www.sja.org.uk/what-we-do/Coronavirus-support/.
- You can also support Lucy’s fundraising campaign to raise breast cancer awareness at https://tiltify.com/@lucylyu/the-big-bounce-back-bouncing-of-the-orbitt
- Hear from other volunteers at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-we-ended-up-in-the-volunteer-vaccination-squad-wtxstxh5n
