Scout leader turns Champion to help pandemic recovery

A scout leader of over three decades is lending his support to the borough’s pandemic recovery by becoming a Covid Community Champion.

63 year old Michael Grime of Darwen has joined a new group of people who are supporting the Council to share important public health messages with their contacts.

As rates of Coronavirus have risen locally, the Covid Community Champion role is a vital one to help keep everyone safe.

Champions are being recruited from all walks of life in Blackburn with Darwen – different ages, different cultures and nationalities, and different areas.

Covid Community Champions are local people who want to support Blackburn with Darwen’s recovery from the pandemic, and can use their contacts and networks to share important public health updates and information.

Michael, who is the Darwen District Commissioner for Scouts, said:

I want to do what I can to help us get back to some kind of normal and help spread the word.

Michael is also a volunteer with Darwen Asylum Refugee & Enterprise and a church organist. Through his networks, he can reach thousands of people with trusted messages from the Council and the NHS.

I’m in an ideal position with the networks I’m already involved in. And during the pandemic I’ve already been doing some of what the Champions are being asked to do. By joining the Champions, I’ll get more info direct from the Council – that gives people more confidence that it’s accurate.

Michael has found himself supporting refugees in Darwen whose English language skills made them vulnerable to falling foul of the lockdown rules. Michael added:

I’ve helped them to understand what they can and can’t do, and also reassured them about the vaccine. They were reluctant at first, but once some of them had it, they almost became ambassadors for the jab and have encouraged others to have it too.

Being a Covid Community Champion isn’t a big time commitment – volunteers can give as much or a little time as they can.

All you need to become a Champion is:

• An email address
• A phone
• Some contacts you’ll share the updates with – this could be a neighbours WhatsApp group, a community group you volunteer with, or just your family
• And a willingness to help Blackburn with Darwen recover from the pandemic

Sayyed Osman, Strategic Director for Adults & Health, said:

Our Covid Community Champions have a vital role to play in helping us get back to some kind of normality safely and while keeping control of virus rates across the borough.

Blackburn with Darwen is just one of over 60 councils that have received funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on certain groups.

To find out more visit www.blackburn.gov.uk/communitychampions or call 01254 304597.