The efforts of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s COVID Community Champions were recognised by our county’s MPs and the Prime Minister at a special event in Parliament on Thursday 19th May.
I set up the COVID Community Champion Awards to recognise the efforts of local constituents who went above and beyond to help others during the pandemic. The county's other MPs also took part in the scheme.
The Prime Minister sent a special message to the COVID Champions, sending his congratulations and thanks for all of their efforts during the pandemic.
Nominated by members of the public, Dr Katrina Young, Phil Priestley and Katja Gauci and Stephanie Prior were selected as the overall winners for SE Cambridgeshire.
Dr Young has been at the forefront of St Mary’s Surgery response to the Covid pandemic, managing with the delivery of the vaccination rollout across Ely and ensuring that housebound patients across the area received their vaccines.
Phil Priestley repaired and redistributed over 2000 laptops, spending many hours of his time delivering them to disadvantaged children who would not have had access to technology to help them with their studies and to keep connected with their friends and family.
And Katja Gauci and Stephanie Prior of Willingham, created and managed the Willingham Love Hub, organising and managing a team of volunteers to support vulnerable residents throughout the village with a wide range of needs including collecting prescriptions, shopping, food bank, IT for children.
Fellow Cambridgeshire MPs Steve Barclay, Shailesh Vara, Anthony Browne MP and Jonathan Djanogly all recognised their COVID Community Champion Award winners at the event.
Katrina, Phil, Kate and Stephanie did an amazing job supporting their local communities throughout the pandemic. From managing the delivery of the vaccination rollout, to ensuring children could access equipment to carry on their schoolwork and to ensuring that vulnerable individuals continued to receive their medication, food and had company - SE Cambridgeshire’s COVID Champions went above and beyond during those challenging months. I and my fellow MPs are delighted to recognise their efforts.
Recognised at the event, Dr Katrina Young said: “I was delighted to be invited by Lucy Frazer MP to Westminster along with Phil Priestley, Katja Gauci and Stephanie Prior from South East Cambs, as part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Community Champion Award winners reception and I would like to thank Lucy and her team very much for hosting the event. I would also like to thank the members of the public who freely volunteered their time and the GP surgery teams from Ely North and South Primary Care Networks for their assistance in delivering such an extensive and well delivered Covid vaccination programme.”
