New duo will help Champions keep Hartlepool safe

Hannah Goodman and Julie French have been appointed to temporary 12-month positions as COVID Engagement Officers by Hartlepool Borough Council.

The pair will oversee and support the town’s COVID Community Champions network, which is made up of volunteers – a mix of individuals and organisations - who help residents to stay up-to-date on the latest guidance so they can protect themselves and others against the virus.

Community Champions share accurate messages from Hartlepool’s Public Health Team on social media and through other channels, gather feedback from the local community and act as positive role models in the battle against COVID.

Hannah and Julie will be ensuring that the Community Champions are kept up-to-speed on the very latest guidance and developments, providing training as needed and getting out and about in the local community building up the Community Champions network even further and helping to promote initiatives such as vaccinations and testing.

Hannah Goodman and Julie French

Julie said: “Although the national restrictions are gradually being removed and people quite rightly are enjoying getting back to more normality in their daily lives, the instances of virus variants in the UK and around the world show that we all still need to stay vigilant and not take any risks.”

Hannah added: “Whether it’s promoting the benefits of regular testing and the vaccination programme or helping to keep people updated on the latest rules on overseas holidays, we’re really looking forward to working with the Community Champions to help people in Hartlepool to get on with their lives but stay COVID-safe.”

For more information about becoming a COVID Community Champion, visit www.hartlepoolnow.co.uk and search for ‘COVID Community Champions’ or contact Hannah and Julie at covidchampions@hartlepool.gov.uk