People who go to the community Covid-19 vaccination site at Steam Museum could be getting their jab from one of thousands of volunteers.

And it might even be delivered by a Swindon councillor.

St John Ambulance is training more than 30,000 volunteers across England. They have stepped forward to help speed up the vaccination process as coronavirus continues to grip the country.

They will be deployed to sites across the country, including Steam. Yesterday seven mass vaccination sites opened, with Bristol the closest to Swindon.

One of the volunteers is Dale Heenan, the ward councillor for Covingham and Dorcan.

He said: “"Every jab in every arm makes a difference and takes us one step closer to life returning to normal, and we should all be doing what we can to support the vaccine rollout. It is the only way of ending this Covid pandemic.

“During the first lockdown, like hundreds of other local people I joined the council's Compassionate Swindon network, and I volunteered to do my small part by collecting and delivering medicines and prescriptions to people who were shielding at home.

“This time we have a vaccine, and the NHS is gearing up to vaccinate tens of thousands of people in Swindon. I saw the St John Ambulance publicity before Christmas, signed up on New Year’s Day, yesterday I had my interview as a volunteer vaccinator and within hours the first induction and training courses were made available.

“The whole process has been very smooth. Anyone can do it."

A spokesman for the medical charity said: “We are pulling out all the stops to train more than 30,000 vaccination volunteers between now and the spring, using our long-standing expertise in empowering people with lifesaving clinical skills and the confidence to use them, every day.

Recruitment from St John Ambulance’s existing volunteers and employees has been boosted by thousands of people trained in first aid by the charity, with additional capacity coming from partner organisations including the Royal Voluntary Service, which runs the NHS Volunteer Responder programme.

“The response since we first started recruiting and training, just over a month ago, has been genuinely inspiring.

“Teams of highly-trained St John Ambulance volunteers will administer injections, support people through the vaccination process and care for people before and after they receive their jabs.

Coun Heenan, who is the Conservative cabinet member for the town centre, has urged others to follow his lead.

He said: “My employer provides staff with two days a year off for voluntary activity, and within reason will support more time for Covid-related activity where our work continues to be dealt with which is fantastic.

“The minimum commitment is two eight-hour shifts so imagine the difference that would be made if every business in Swindon supported just a few of their staff providing vaccine rollout assistance over the next couple of months. Now is the time for us all to pull together.”

Those wishing to sign up can do so at vaccinationvolunteers.sja.org.uk and nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk or contact Swindon Borough Council.