THOUSANDS of veterans have come forward to support Chilmark-based charity Team Rubicon UK as it assists with the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The disaster response charity launched Op RE:ACT and since March 29 has deployed 271 volunteers across the UK.

It has been able to create a national voluntary coordination cell to match the unmet needs of the most vulnerable across the country with aid and support.

Richard Sharp, the CEO of Team Rubicon UK and a former Royal Marine Commando, said: “We’ve been working in support of the NHS, doing quite sensitive work in mortuaries, logistics for hospitals, and making sure food banks have got what they need. It’s been plugging the critical gaps in the response so far.”

Volunteers have also been distributing personal protective equipment, delivering meals to vulnerable communities, and building hospital beds.

Team Rubicon has been supporting welfare calls across Wiltshire along with mortuary tasks in Hampshire and Dorset.

It’s liaison officers have been working with the voluntary sector, the MoD and resilience forums to identify “unmet needs”.

And the operations teams based at the charity’s Chilmark headquarters have been helping to identify tasks and co-ordinate volunteers to carry them out.

“Obviously, we wish our country wasn’t gripped by this crisis but it is a fantastic honour to serve our communities now,” said Richard. “I am incredibly proud to watch the organisation stand up and do what it is doing in our home communities.”

The charity put out a call to veterans to bolster its volunteer numbers. Richard says the response has been “fantastic”, adding: “We’ve had nearly 4,000 new veteran volunteers and we want to keep recruiting because we think we will be operating well into the autumn at this tempo so we need lots of people to come and work with our people.”

The charity relies on donations to fund its operations. Click here for more information about volunteering or making a donation to support its work.