Meet the Harrogate agents volunteering as NHS helpers
Staff at an independent estate agent in North Yorkshire have launched a touching campaign to ‘give back to their community’ after volunteering as NHS helpers.
The team at Verity Frearson in Harrogate answered the Government’s call to support NHS services, but that’s just the beginning of their fundraising and charity efforts.
Jamie Burton, a sales negotiator at the firm, told Rightmove: “Harrogate has been good to us and it’s time for us to give something back, so we’ve started doing a series of things.
“As part of our Giving back promise, about half of our team has registered to become an NHS volunteer. Due to the volume of applicants, only two from our team have been fully signed up but it’s a great initiative.
“They’ve been on the phone chatting to the elderly and just generally keeping people company.
“But we’re super proud of our team and just really pleased that we can help support the NHS and the tremendous job they’re doing.”
READ MORE: Local agents support the community’s vulnerable
Jamie, who has worked at Verity Frearson for six years, also explained that the business has been helping the local community in a number of other ways, too.
He revealed: “Our other promise is to lend our two Minis to any community groups or individuals who need them to help deliver goods to those less fortunate or in need. Rather than letting them gather dust behind the office we thought we’d do something a bit different. The cars are fully insured, fuelled and ready to go.
“At the moment, they are with four doctors surgeries in Harrogate. They can use them for home visits and transferring things between practises. It just means the doctors can check on patients more easily.
“Then next week, we’re sending them to a local charity called Henshaws who look after and care for people across the region with disabilities. It’s the small things that count and we’ve taken the cars for granted really. Both the doctors and Henshaws have been over the moon.
“The response on social media has been massive, too. People are so appreciative of what we’re doing. It’s been really, really nice.”
The father-of-two also added that the agency hopes to raise thousands of pounds for Harrogate Hospital in the coming weeks as well.
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“The next stage of our campaign is to approach local businesses with a view to raising £10,000 for Harrogate Hospital,” Jamie added.
“We’ll obviously donate ourselves, but if every company can contribute a couple of hundred quid we should be well on the way to our target.
“We are sure that the superb Harrogate community will come together with true Yorkshire Grit. We will all come out of this stronger.”
