LGBTQ homeless and crisis shelter staff urge government to give priority Covid vaccines
"The opportunity is there to protect our crew by getting a vaccination and once again we are being made to fight for it."
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Pexels
LGBTQ homelessness and crisis centre The Outside Project has issued a statement warning that its staff can’t work if they get sick with Covid-19.
The group has also asked followers to push the issue by writing to local MPs. (Which, via writetothem.com, is remarkably easy – seriously, take a look).
In an Instagram post yesterday, the organisation called on followers to “[write] to your local MP asking that they consider The Outside Project team and all homelessness and domestic abuse services as being a priority occupation for the COVID19 vaccination and raise this with the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment.”
The post follows news of daily coronavirus cases reaching 60,000 in the UK for the first time yesterday.
“The opportunity is there to protect our crew by getting a COVID vaccination and once again we are being made to fight”
The Outside Project’s statement in full:
“WE NEED YOUR HELP. There’s no question of our services remaining open and our team will continue to work frontline with the most vulnerable members of our community – but this winter is the worst situation we have faced and we can’t work if we are sick.
“The opportunity is there to protect our crew by getting a COVID vaccination and once again we are being made to fight for it.
View this post on Instagram
“Please support us by writing to your local MP asking that they consider The Outside Project team and all homelessness and domestic abuse services as being a priority occupation for the COVID19 vaccination and raise this with the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment.
“You can do so at www.writetothem.com.
“Repost @homeless_link 05/01 : ‘We have written to the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment to ask that working with people who have no home is treated as a priority occupation for vaccination, as a matter for urgency.
“TAKE ACTION
“You can help strengthen our call by writing to your local MP to ask that they immediately raise this critical matter with the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment.”
The London shelter is located within the 106-year-old Clerkenwell fire station in Islington, which was empty after closing in 2013. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan invested £50,000 in repurposing the building.
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