NEW YEARS HONOUR FOR RE:ACT VOLUNTEER

We are delighted to announce that RE:ACT Responder Zoe Sayers, has been named in the New Years honours list having been awarded the Medal of Order of the British Empire (British Empire Medal) for her outstanding voluntary work in Kent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Zoe headed up a team of RE:ACT volunteers supporting a nursing home that had experienced an outbreak of infections. Zoe and the team got to work straight away deep cleaning the home to remove the virus, including the rooms of residents, some of whom had sadly passed away from Covid-19. They also provided emotional support to staff who were under enormous stress and emotional strain at the time.

The volunteers also set up electronic tablets to enable residents to communicate with RE:ACT befrienders and friends and family who were unable to visit during lockdowns. This lifted the residents’ spirits and provided great comfort.

Zoe has also been involved in a number of other Covid-19 related tasks with RE:ACT including decontaminating ambulances to allow overstretched paramedics and staff downtime during busy shifts, marshalling at NHS Covid-19 vaccination centres and helping vulnerable people to access food and other essential supplies.

Upon hearing of her award Zoe said, “I’m very honoured to receive this award. In RE:ACT we deploy as a team and although the whole team can’t receive individual recognition, I am accepting this on their behalf for all the outstanding work done by every RE:ACT volunteer who deployed during the pandemic.

Volunteering is something I have loved doing for over a decade. It’s part of who I am. What it means to me is that I am helping, in whatever way I can, to improve a situation for someone else – that could be from the smallest gesture to supporting someone at their most desperate moment. Volunteering means you’re always giving something back.”