COVID Community Champions

The COVID Community Champions programme, set up in partnership with the Fayreshare Foundation, responded to the high levels of vaccine hesitancy and Covid conspiracy theories in some faith-based communities at the start of the vaccine roll-out.

It supported key figures within faith-based communities to share resources and positive messages about the vaccine, to build trust and confidence. This work mattered most in communities that have historically been underserved or faced inequalities in healthcare, leading to a lack of trust in traditional institutions.

At the end of the project, representatives of London’s interfaith community met to celebrate the work of the COVID Community Champions in encouraging vaccine uptake among faith-based communities. The evening was coordinated by Leonie Lewis MBE. The honourees were presented with certificates by Lord Greenhalgh, the Minister for Communities, who said:

“We want everyone to benefit from the offer of a free vaccine, no matter their ethnicity or religious beliefs.”

The event also celebrated the strength of London’s interfaith network, and its capacity for grassroots mobilisation in traditionally underserved or hard-to-reach communities.

Particular recognition went to Dr Tamara Joffe and Carl Blackburn, whose efforts led to over 3,500 doses being given to members of the community, many of whom were at first hesitant about the vaccine.