CPS volunteer to support local community pandemic efforts 

Delivering social value is fundamental at Connect Plus Services. It is our mission to work collaboratively with our communities and, as part of this, two paid annual volunteering days are allocated to each member of staff to support local causes. 

Recent efforts within our team demonstrate outstanding voluntary work in the same chosen cause; the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Abhishek Jain, Digital Engineering Lead, became a ‘check-in and chat’ volunteer with the NHS Volunteer Responders in April 2021. Since then, he has been helping people in isolation, particularly supporting them in mental and physical health. 

Abhishek said:

‘Just before the Christmas break, it was great to help in picking up deliveries from local food banks. Due to COVID, some families were not allowed to leave their homes and others hadn’t eaten in the last 24 hours. I also helped in being on the other end of the phone for elderly and terminally ill patients. Just having a phone call was re-assuring to them as many hadn’t spoken to anyone for 2-3 weeks.’ 

Richard Mould, Technology Engineer, has taken on huge responsibilities to make an impact in the pandemic, whilst also supporting a homeless charity at Christmas. 

Richard said:

‘I became a Vaccinator with St John Ambulance at the beginning of the vaccination, I now drive the Treatment Centres into the wider communities as part of the Outreach initiative. 

On Christmas eve I was vaccinating at a doctor’s surgery in Luton, with anther colleague from SJA. We had a steady flow of people throughout the day and I vaccinated around 40 people, as seen in the Daily Express! 

On Christmas day I was volunteering in Homerton, as part of Crisis at Christmas. What can be more rewarding than giving up a little time to make a huge difference to someone in their time of need.’ 

‘My task was to greet people who had booked an appointment and to register them onto the system. It was very rewarding to be part of the mass vaccination programme and to help the local community. It was very easy to register myself to volunteer, and I was well treated by the staff members at the pharmacy.’

Read more about our commitment to social value here.