Lancaster Coronavirus Support Line
1386. Jamie Haxby
Jamie Haxby, from Lancaster, is an outreach worker at Hope Church who set up the ‘Lancaster Coronavirus Support Line’ with fellow volunteers to bring together a community of more than 1,400 people to help the vulnerable and elderly in the city.
Through the support line, volunteers are able to offer a range of services, from the delivery of shopping and medicine to a friendly phone service to support those in isolation.
In a personal letter to Jamie, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Your ‘Lancaster Coronavirus Support Line’ is the lifeblood of your community, with hundreds of people coming together to assist the elderly and vulnerable. From the delivery of shopping and medicine to the manning of a friendly phone service, you are inspiring countless acts of kindness and compassion which show the very best of Britain.
“Stories like yours also sustain my belief that we will not only beat this virus together but emerge stronger – more resilient, more innovative, more economically dynamic but also a more generous and more sharing nation.”
Jamie said:
“It’s an honour and privilege to receive this award on behalf of the incredible team at Hope Church that has worked on this project with me, not to mention all the volunteers on the ground that have now helped 1,000 people across our district in this time of crisis. It’s been wonderful for me to play a small part in this, we’ve not only provided practical help and care to vulnerable people in our community but also demonstrated that the church is here for the people of Lancaster, regardless of background or belief, you are not alone, we are here to help and we care.”