Today marked The Countess of Wessex’s 57th birthday, but she put her birthday celebrations on hold, spening her special day helping St John Ambulance at a vaccination centre in Surrey.
Sophie is Grand President of St John Ambulance and a Care Volunteer within the organisation.
The Countess of Wessex spent her 57th birthday at a vaccination centre. (Royal Family)
The Countess praised the ongoing efforts of volunteers, as she carried out a shift supporting the NHS vaccination programme.
The day saw the mother-of-two work alongside fellow volunteers to greet patients, take their details and look after their wellbeing while they had their Covid-19 vaccinations.
HRH The Countess of Wessex spent the morning with St John Ambulance in a Surrey vaccination centre, working alongside volunteers administering the COVID-19 vaccinations. pic.twitter.com/lovxfhKFbG
— St John Ambulance (@stjohnambulance) January 20, 2022
At the end of her shift, Sophie was presented with a Covid pin badge to thank her for her support during the pandemic, as well as bouquet of flowers to mark her birthday.
Sophie was given a special pin badge for all her efforts. (Royal Family)
HRH was given a bouquet of flowers to mark her birthday. (Royal Family)
Last year, Prince Edward’s wife completed her training to become a Care Volunteer, in support of the NHS vaccination programme. She also undertook a number of shifts where she put her training to use, as one of the largest public health campaigns in British history got under way.
Sophie just one individual out of more than 12,000 volunteers who have been deployed to vaccination centres all over England, in an extraordinary collective effort to help combat the pandemic and protect public health.
The visit came days after the Royal backed a campaign by The Daily Mirror, to help tackle online child sexual abuse and create safer digital spaces for children.
Ann Cable MBE DL, Chief Commissioner at St John, said: “We are honoured that The Countess of Wessex chose to spend her birthday with St John. It is a testament to the outstanding contribution of our volunteers, not just in response to the pandemic but in all the many different walks of life in which we provide first aid and other services to our communities.
“Our volunteers are the life-blood of St John, and the pandemic has demonstrated just how vital their service is to health of the whole country.”
The Countess of Wessex greeted those who were receiving their vaccinations. (Royal Family).
The Countess of Wessex previously expressed her delight as she received an early birthday present last year, when her father received his COVID-19 vaccination; Christopher Rhys-Jones is now 90.
Sophie has been one of the key members of the Royal Family who has been supporting those in the response to COVID-19. HRH has helped to organise meals for NHS workers, pack parcels for food for those who are vulnerable.
