Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and Keir Starmer thank Sun readers for smashing 50,000 Jabs Army target

I HAVE always known Sun readers are the most kind-hearted people in Britain.

When the pandemic struck you responded — as you always do — with generosity, energy and, above all, ­compassion.

It was in this spirit that, on New Year’s Day, we launched The Sun’s Jabs Army.

Along with our partners, the NHS and the Royal Voluntary Service, we asked for 50,000 people to step forward and volunteer to help the vaccine roll-out.

Just 18 days later and you’ve done it.

Today, I am pleased to report, on these pages, that as of last night an astonishing 51,019 of you have now signed up and are standing by to be called up in the coming days and weeks.

It is a fantastic achievement for which I thank each and every one of you wholeheartedly.

No newspaper had ever before recruited so many of its readers to help Britain in its hour of need.

At a time when thousands of you have lost loved ones and millions more have lost money and jobs, Sun readers still give up their time for others.

I, and everyone at the paper, are proud of every single one of you.

Our Jabs Army will be on duty at centres all over the country, playing a vital part of the incredible vaccination programme — the biggest in NHS history.

Today we feature Sun volunteers in North London, one of whom, Susan Jones, summed up our campaign in a sentence: “I’d rather be here helping defeat this virus than sitting at home.”

Hear hear! And we are not finished with our campaign.

Our volunteers will be needed until everyone in Britain has had a jab.
But before that day comes we may need more volunteers as part of a Reserve Army, ready and waiting to be called up if need be — so it is not too late for you to sign up. We’ll let you know how to do that very soon.

With our Jabs Army working tirelessly with the hard-working NHS and support staff to deliver the vaccine, the day will come soon when we can get Britain back to the way we were before coronavirus turned our lives upside down.

You have been so caring since the first wave of coronavirus struck last spring and hospitals were swamped with cases.

You helped raise £1million for NHS charities through our Who Cares Wins Appeal, to bring comfort to hard-pressed medical staff.

Then, when the coronavirus crisis affected supplies of tiny blankets for sick and premature babies in hospitals, you came to the rescue.

After we printed a pattern in The Sun on Sunday, our readers knitted 10,000 baby blankets, which the charity Bliss will deliver to hospitals all over Britain.

At Christmas we teamed up with the Royal Voluntary Service, Together coalition and the NHS to ask you to call on neighbours, make check and chat calls to the lonely and run errands for people shielding.

You signed up in droves — causing a 70 per cent spike in volunteer numbers — to provide comfort when it was needed most.

The Sun is proud to be part of your lives, bringing out a paper or producing news stories online to keep you up to date with every twist and turn of the battle to beat the virus.

Together we can help beat this.

Thank you.

BRITAIN needed 50,000 volunteers to staff the vaccine rollout — and in just 18 days The Sun found them.

We are immensely proud that our Jabs Army total hit the magic 50k yesterday.

We salute every one of you who has stepped forward. Health Secretary Matt Hancock paid you his own tribute before a TV audience of millions yesterday.

In years to come you’ll be able to tell your families the vital part you played in conquering our gravest threat since World War Two. But our Jabs Army campaign is not stopping there.

You can still join the reserve list . . . and may well get your call-up!

By last night 4,062,501 Brits had been jabbed — a fantastic effort and evidence that vaccinators everywhere are going as fast as they possibly can.

Everywhere, that is, except Labour-run Wales, where bungling First Minister Mark Drakeford is going slowly to make his vaccine supplies last. We can only pray OAPs don’t die of Covid because he held their jab back.

He must change course — because the rest of the rollout so far is a triumph The Sun is delighted to be playing our part in.

Their calls were led by Boris Johnson, who begged for volunteers to help 'return the country to normal life'.

The PM wrote personally to our readers, saying: "The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is a brilliant example of the power of collective action.

"It has already inspired companies and workplaces up and down the country to join the call to arms.

"So today, I call on everyone who has the time to join the legions of volunteers already signed up and to boost volunteer numbers further still."

Jeremy Clarkson urged Brits to get off the sofa and sign up to beat the lockdown blues.

He said: “Everyone is saying how bored they are. They’ve watched Netflix, gone through everything on the internet, read Google.

“Well let’s not be bored — let’s get off our bottoms and volunteer.”

His call was backed by a string of other celebs - including the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, who hailed our campaign as “fantastic”.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock saluted Jabs Army as he addressed the nation in a No10 press briefing.

He said: "Come and be a part of it. The Sun’s Jabs Army is marching and helping the nation.”

GMB host Piers Morgan branded the campaign as "excellent".

While celebrities like Bear Grylls, Gordon Ramsay and Bake Off's Matt Lucas have also thrown their support behind the campaign.