Marlow Rugby Club on helping the vulnerable during Covid-19

A spokesperson from the club said: “June 1 marks the 10th week since the Government announced the countrywide lockdown due to Covid-19.

“All of our lives changed in one form or the other on March 23, 2020.

“Marlow Rugby Club announced to its members that all rugby and social activity at the clubhouse was suspended on an indefinite basis.

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“Whilst our livelihood as an amateur rugby club was suddenly and starkly under threat, we recognised a major opportunity.

Ross Kemp has been out and about helping those in Marlow

“For the last 18 months, we had been working on a vision for Marlow Rugby Club that positioned us truly at the centre of the community of Marlow.

“This was indeed our time to stop the talking and the planning and actually go out and do something that was both meaningful and positive for Marlow.

“The approach has been simple but remarkably effective in both maintaining a strong bond between the Rugby Club members but also be immediately mobilising support for the Marlow Community.

“At the same time as we announced the suspension of rugby, we contacted the local GP and Pharmacy team to offer support and in parallel, assembled a strong team of volunteers.

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“The first contact was from Matt Saunders, patient services manager at the Marlow Medical Group.

“He was already receiving calls from many members of the Marlow Community who were concerned, frightened and in many cases, confused about their ability to get through this pandemic.

“The Marlow Rugby volunteer team went to work in the most immediate way that was going to help, in the delivery of prescriptions to those that were in the shielded category.

“It has been amazing to speak to these residents on a daily basis and to hear their resilience, understand their frustration and above all wonder at the humour and humility of the people in our town and the surrounding villages.

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“Quickly following the first week of successful pharmacy runs, Matt made contact again and explained that the team at the Medical Centre had identified a major area of risk to both patients and staff through the continued operation of indoor clinics.

“That same week, the Marlow Rugby volunteer team mobilised to erect a Gazebo in the Medical Centre car park to enable ‘drive-in clinics.

“The club now puts up two gazebos every morning for Marlow and 1 for a similar operation at the Pound House Clinic in Wooburn Green.

“The same teams return at the end of each day to pack away and get ready for a bright and early start the next morning.

“The interaction with the wider community has been simply remarkable.

“We have been privileged to work with the amazing teams at The Marlow, Bourne End and Wooburn Medical Centres and the Pharmacies that cover all of the town’s needs.

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“We have had a fantastic collaboration with the wonderful Marlow C-19 team, who have also assembled teams of volunteers that cover every street in Marlow providing one on one support for shielded residents.

“Most of all, it has been truly rewarding to stop the talk of having a vision for being a community club, and put words into action and get out there with many others that are doing the same, in helping every resident of Marlow and the surrounding area to get through this pandemic together.

“Next week will mark the tenth week of the drive-in clinic operation and also the 500th prescription delivery from the Marlow Rugby volunteer team.

“We state day in day out: It’s not the volunteers that are really helping the Marlow community, the real heroes are all those that have stayed at home and have isolated themselves for the good of everyone else.

“We can’t wait to open up our grounds again, raise the shutters on our bar and welcome in everyone as we will then truly be a club for the community.”