An experienced member of staff and qualified funeral director at A.W. Lymn, Nottingham’s largest independent funeral directors, has trained as a Covid-19 vaccinator, already vaccinating 2,000 people since he started giving the jabs less than a fortnight ago.
While continuing to look after the bereaved in his part time role as Funeral Director and Driver Bearer at A.W. Lymn, Rob Lippitt has taken on this new role to help with the vaccination roll-out.
With no prior experience, Rob decided he wanted to do something to help with the pressure the NHS is under by signing up to be a qualified vaccinator, having witnessed first-hand the devastation which the virus has caused for families served by A.W. Lymn.
After undertaking 22 rigorous exams, Rob is now helping in the mass roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, working within a team that is vaccinating around 18,000 people a day at sites across Notts.
On why he made the pivotal decision to train as a vaccinator, Rob said: “I’ve cared for the deceased and their families for 10 years now at A.W. Lymn – and during the pandemic we’ve witnessed a huge increase in the need for our services.
It’s been incredibly hard for the entire team; I’ve even had to conduct funerals for close friends of mine. After seeing first-hand the effects of the virus on families and the pressure the NHS is under, I knew I wanted to do something to help. So, when the opportunity arose, I just had to go for it.”
In order to qualify as a Covid-19 vaccinator, Rob had to partake in comprehensive training, all of which was via virtual e-learning from his home. He said the training was vigorous with many hours spent revising before he could partake in a practical.
“As someone with no prior medical training, I was slightly apprehensive to vaccinate someone for the first time as it was all so new to me. Since I started it has been incredibly rewarding and it feels completely natural to me now. It helps that I am part of a wonderful team which is made up of people from all different jobs and backgrounds, all coming together to offer support. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of something which is making such a difference.”
The high volume of people visiting vaccination sites requires Rob to be flexible, working at different locations each day with varying shift hours which can last up to 12 hours.
Company Chairman at A.W. Lymn, Nigel Lymn Rose, said he was incredibly proud of what Rob is doing for the NHS. He added: “His dedication and commitment to help people not only shines through in his role at A.W. Lymn, but also in his decision to take up this new role in his spare time.
“We always encourage members of our team to strive to help the community in any way they can, and it’s amazing to see their caring nature is embedded in everything they do. It comes as no surprise to see Rob flourishing in this role, and we look forward to supporting him each step of the way.”
A.W. Lymn operates 27 funeral homes throughout Nottinghamshire and South Derbyshire, with its head office in the centre of Nottingham, just off Sneinton market place. The business has cared for the bereaved in the region for more than 100 years and prides itself on its family-run status.
