The people who made it happen

None of this would have been possible without an army of staff and volunteers who between them have clocked up thousands of hours, many in addition to their usual roles. Here are just a few of the people who made it happen.

Our volunteers

Lee Miles is a volunteer at Folkestone Vaccination Centre. He said: “At the start, I wondered what I had let myself in for. I quickly came to realise what a very special team I had become part of, a truly multi-talented diverse team of superb professionals and volunteers, drawn not just from the NHS but all walks of life. All the volunteers are valued and treated by everyone as an essential part of the team. Being a former public servant, serving the community is in the blood and a worthwhile cause but, if I am really honest, being part of such a tremendous team is the real driver. Well that, the biscuits, cakes and other goodies, which are so generously shared and donated.”

Our Estates Team

Kingsley Greenaway is the estates manager for KCHFT and was fully involved in setting up vaccination centres from the moment we had the green light. Along with his colleagues, the dedicated dad-of-one worked tirelessly through Christmas and new year to take delivery of vital equipment and helped to organise each centre. He said: “I’ve been with KCHFT for seven years now. Even though setting up seven vaccination sites eight weeks is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, it’s been worth it. If someone tells me they have had their vaccine I say ‘where did you have it?’. If they say one of our sites, I say ‘that’s us, that’s my trust’. It’s been a long hard road. But we’re all so proud to be part of it.”

Our vaccinators

Samantha Waller, from Cranbrook, has been part of the Heathrow cabin crew fleet for five years. After one final trip to Santiago last March she was grounded by Covid and placed on furlough. However, not one to stand still for too long, when she saw our vaccination recruitment campaign she leapt at the chance to join our team along with colleagues Sam Watson and pilot David Curtis (pictured). Samantha said: “I wanted to help with the vaccination effort and do something positive with my time. We’re first aid trained, so we can use our skills to help people. We’re people-people. We’re used to dealing with nervous flyers and putting people at ease, it’s very similar to being on board. We meet different people every day, we make a connection with them to help them feel comfortable and the camaraderie within the team is exactly the same.”

Our Pharmacy Team

Ruth Brown is KCHFT’s chief pharmacist and, as such, has been a key part of the vaccination programme. From taking the first, frozen delivery of the Pfizer vaccine back in December to running five temporary pharmacies on key sites, Ruth has been at the forefront of our efforts. She said: “I feel privileged and proud that we're part of what you see on the television every day, about the numbers of people who have been vaccinated. We've not had months and months to plan, not even weeks and weeks. It's been a phenomenally quick turnaround and look what we've achieved in that time.”

The council chief executive

Susan Priest is chief executive of Folkestone and Hythe District Council. She said: “Little did we know in May 2020 when we acquired the former Debenhams building in Folkestone that in just a few months’ time, it would play such a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19. We are so very proud the premises played a pivotal role and that our staff were able to support NHS colleagues in turning shop floors into such an impressive super-sized health clinic.

“As the use of Folca as a vaccination centre comes to an end, it is truly amazing to reflect on what has been achieved together. Thank you to all those in the NHS for your sustained dedication and hard work in delivering the vaccination programme so swiftly, efficiently and with such care.”