Rachel Azzopardi, chair of Westminster Venue Collection and head of catering and events at Regent’s Conferences & Events is leading by example as one of many event professionals to be officially accepted as a volunteer for the NHS.

An astounding 750,000 volunteers have responded to a call to join the NHS held fight Coronavirus, three times the target of 250,000, including many of our London-based event professionals.

Those who registered will be helping the health service perform ‘vital roles’ that will allow people to comply with strict government advice on self-isolation and social distancing. Community response volunteers will collect and deliver shopping, medication or ‘other essential supplies’ for people under isolation.

Other roles include transporting medically fit patients and ensuring they are settled safely back home, or ferrying equipment and medication between NHS services and sites. Volunteers may also assist with telephone support to those at risk of loneliness linked to self-isolation.