By Rob Smith, Market Drayton

Volunteer organiser Jojo Scoble, left, celebrating with Carla Morris of the Woore Country Store and Mike Cowey, chair of Woore Parish Council as well as supporters

Volunteers in Woore, near Market Drayton, have been presented with a plaque by their parish council to commemorate their efforts over the last year.

The Woore Country Store, supported by the Volunteers of Woore group, adapted quickly to pandemic conditions.

The volunteers offered a phone payment system and delivery service for the most vulnerable, delivering food food and prescriptions and simply checking in on people who would usually rely on family, friends or health staff.

Presented to the 'Woore Country Store Workforce & Volunteers of Woore', it says: "This plaque, presented by the parishioners of Woore, is to thank you for your incredible efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020.

"Together, you brought help to our most vulnerable and a lifeline for many."

Letters to the volunteers from Woore Parish Council said: "Throughout our lovely parish, we have seen an amazing community response to help support our elderly and vulnerable residents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The contribution that volunteers have made to support their local community has been extraordinary.

"Woore Parish Council would like to highlight the role of Woore Country Store in this community response and recognise publicly your dedication to going above and beyond in a time of need, both as business owners and also as residents of the parish.

"As the only shop within the parish, you already understand that Woore County Stores is, for many, the lifeline for much needed supplies.

"The parish council recognise that along with your team, you worked tirelessly to ensure that the store continued to operate in line with restrictions and quickly adapted working practices to provide a phone order and delivery service to the local community.

"With the support of Volunteers of Woore to help manage queues, deliver parcels, take orders/payments and source supplies that were in unusually high demand, you were able to ensure that the local community were provided for.

"Without your dedication and generosity, many residents would have struggled to access those vital supplies throughout lockdown.

"In the first few days of an impending lockdown, [the volunteers] personally took the initiative to create and coordinate a volunteer network, the sole purpose of which remains to support anyone within the parish who needs a little extra help, whether that be the delivery of food supplies to their door, collecting a much-needed prescription, or just being on hand to ‘check-in on’ the many elderly and vulnerable who have been forced to manage without their regular support networks.

"These are truly unprecedented times and thanks to the determination and selfless acts of local volunteers, our collective response to the Covid-19 pandemic is something we, as a parish, can be very proud of and the parish council will be forever grateful for."