SERVE ON volunteers in Salisbury have been working tireless during the snow chaos brought by Storm Emma - freeing trapped motorists, clearing roads and even helping a woman in labour get to hospital.
A dozen volunteers from the Salisbury-based charity worked from Thursday evening through to Saturday, clearing roads, freeing trapped motorists, and ferrying district and community nurses to patients in remote areas who needed vital medication.
They helped a woman in labour trying to get to Salisbury District Hospital by pushing her car through the snow.
Serve On worked alongside other groups including Support2Ops, Raynet, Team Rubicon UK and the British Army.
Together, with nine four-wheel-drive vehicles, they transported 18 district and community nurses to reach more than 50 patients across Wiltshire.
Volunteers continued undeterred even when a power failure hit their HQ at Salisbury Fire Station leaving them without heat or lighting. They had to reply on a generator.
@SERVE_ON Paul & Ross doing an amazing job @salisburynhs staff car park to get everyone back on the road. Thank you #NHSSnowHeroes pic.twitter.com/s4DuoDpcC4
— Aldridge (@aldridge77) 3 March 2018
Salisbury District Hospital has praised the charity.
Thanks to volunteers from @SERVE_ON and our estates team, our car parks are now almost cleared and cars can now enter and exit the car parks. Great job all of you. 👍👍 pic.twitter.com/tlde5FRdyl
— Salisbury Hospital (@SalisburyNHS) 3 March 2018
Early figures show that Serve On volunteers contributed more than 550 hours during the snow chaos.
Team leader Steve Pickering, who was in the thick of the snow clearance from early evening on Thursday, said: “The people who volunteered have done something they can be very proud of.
“We have had some fantastic feedback, from the local authorities, from the emergency services, from the NHS, from the military and from other voluntary agencies.
Community Resilience in action and volunteering at it’s best. Well done and thanks to everyone involved in tackling #Snowmageddon https://t.co/paEuqA9Jp6 @DWFireRescue @NHSWiltshireCCG @Support2Ops @RAYNET_UK @TeamRubiconUK @BritishArmy @BritishRedCross
— SERVE ON (@SERVE_ON) 4 March 2018
Serve On operations director Dan Cooke said: “We are all about being adaptable and what we achieved is testament to volunteers getting out there and making it happen.
“As I tried to explain to the amazing nurses we were helping, the cold late nights, the early starts and the personal sacrifice are all done with pleasure, especially when we get the chance to assist such great people.”
Hugely proud @SERVE_ON teams have been providing skilled logistics, comms & coordinated human-power in support of multiple #localresilience forums. Right decision a few yrs ago to convert our international skills so we can also support 999/LA partners in UK #communityresilience https://t.co/1HfMW5CtRZ
— Clare Gollop (@ClareGollop) 3 March 2018
To find out more about Serve On or to volunteer go to serveon.org.uk.
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