As the coronavirus pandemic continues to hit communities across the UK and around the world, some of the people most vulnerable to Covid-19 in Kingston are being helped through another lockdown by veterans volunteering their services in the borough.

RE:ACT Disaster Response work with veterans from the military and other uniformed services like the fire brigade and police, and were set up in direct response to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

They are one of a number of volunteer groups that have frequently highlighted with their actions how many people in the borough continue to help those most at risk from the virus.

"We're tasked with delivering shopping and foodbank services to the vulnerable community," explained the Kingston lead on the project John White in conversation with the Surrey Comet.

"Typically everyone from those who are a little bit sick to the elderly and everyone in between. Most of those people have been in isolation for a long time, even since the first lockdown in some instances," he pointed out.

"They’re often too old, vulnerable and even a bit scared to go out anywhere. Spending 5-10 minutes with them to make sure they are OK and building up a bit of personal report is possible too...It’s all at the doorstep, we’re very keen to observe Covid safety measures of course but having a general chat like that can help lighten their days a little bit."

John and his team with RE:ACT ferry essential supplies to some of the borough's most vulnerable shielding residents.

The volunteers take on around 10 different tasks per day, which includes coordinating with the vulnerable about their specific needs, sourcing the items from pharmacies, food banks and shops and then getting them where they need to go.

To that end RE:ACT, who are composed of around 90 per cent veterans in Kingston including ex-special forces members, are one cog in the wider voluntary machine coordinated with Kingston Council and the Kingston Stronger Together programme that recruited over 1,000 volunteers in the opening weeks of the pandemic to help communities in the borough through it.

The RE:ACT team say they offer a small slice of personal contact for those isolating as well as the essential supplies they need, an added benefit not to be underestimated.

"Sometimes we're the only people that some of these vulnerable residents have seen for over six months...the first bit of proper human interaction outside of zoom calls that they’ve had and continue to have, and they often close the door with a smile which I’d say is pretty important."

And while those benefitting from these actions are often the elderly, this is far from the only demographic who have been helped out.

One of the people the RE:ACT team have taken essential supplies and medicines to, for example, is aged 35 and waiting for a heart transplant.

"He was one of the most overwhelmingly positive people I’ve ever met. It was extraordinary," John said. "He taught me the price of the something doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things when you come across people like him...none of that matters as much when it’s about survival."