For the past month, the Chronicle & Echo and Northants Telegraphn have been working with organisations across the town and wider county to pull together a celebration of just some of the key workers and volunteers who have made a difference during lockdown.
9.
Driving ambulances and delivering vital PPE are just two of the roles which have been taken on by Northamptonshire Emergency Services Volunteers (NESV) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NESV organisation was set up about a year ago as a joint venture led by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS). Throughout this pandemic, NESV has been using a team of about 50 volunteers, supplying more than 1000 hours of time, who have been taking on duties such as making sure ambulances are fully stocked and replenished with PPE supplies. NESV has also been driving ambulances where they need to be, for example to garage facilities in Nottinghamshire, or bringing vehicles back down to Northamptonshire when they are needed.
10.
Staff and volunteers from several organisations across the county took delivery of essential food supplies, which were dropped off at hubs in Kettering and Corby, prior to being moved to a central location and packaged up into parcels to support the most vulnerable members of the community. The food parcels were for the shielded populations within Northamptonshire, enabling them to stay home and stay safe during the period of this pandemic. Organisations involved in the unloading and packaging of the food included Northamptonshire County Council, the University of Northampton, Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, Corby Borough Council, Kettering Borough Council and the Emergency Services Volunteers. Support for this work was also provided by the British Red Cross and Crisis Logistics Ltd.
11.
Northamptonshire businesses concerned about the security of empty premises during the lockdown were offered bespoke advice by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS). When town centres and commercial areas were closed up and quiet, the NFRS Protection team were hard at work on the telephones, offering support to businesses and managed housing landlords to boost their security and give them confidence while their premises were completely shut down. Pictured: Kathryn Escudier, Fire Protection Officer
12.
This image was taken after a crew at Wellingborough Fire Station and Community Safety Officer Jo Gouldson held a water safety Facebook live event on the NFRS Facebook page. As part of that, they held a competition for the public to rename the water rescue boat. The name Captain Tom was chosen. This photo shows firefighters from Wellingborough with Jo Gouldson (second from right) with the boat.