The Sun’s Jabs Army has smashed its target of recruiting 50,000 volunteers to vital NHS Responder roles for help with the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The crucial Steward Volunteer roles form a key part of the Covid-19 vaccination team. The role includes guiding people on site and helping the vaccination process run safely and efficiently, ensuring social distancing and identifying people who need additional support.

Signing up via NHS Volunteers, readers can commit to just two six-hour shifts a month at a vaccination service, and no prior experience or qualifications are required.

The Sun editor-in-chief, Victoria Newton, urged people to continue signing up in order to give the NHS as many volunteers as possible across the country.

Victoria said: “I’m so proud that 50,000 Sun readers have signed up to help the national effort to roll out the vaccination programme. We knew our readers wanted to help in some way and it’s a testament to their generosity that so many have given up time to get involved.

“We still need more people to sign up so please get involved. Thank you to all the businesses and organisations who have encouraged their staff to get involved and to everyone who has volunteered so far and offered support to The Sun’s Jabs Army.”

The campaign has been backed by the NHS, PM Boris Johnson along with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said it was “another chance for all of us to do our bit to support the vaccine effort and defeat this virus”, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, as well as the Oxford vaccine team who have called on the public to sign up along with other stars who have backed the campaign including Gary Lineker, Jeremy Clarkson, Matt Lucas, Gordon Ramsay, Prue Leith, Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York and Piers Morgan.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “This will be the biggest vaccination campaign in NHS history — and a monumental national effort such as this requires each one of us to do what we can to help. 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. I call on everyone who has the time to join the legions of volunteers already signed up and to boost volunteer numbers further still.”

Matt Hancock said at the Downing Street briefing today: “People are helping by being a community volunteer or signing up for clinical trials or the 50,000 people who now have signed up for The Sun’s Jabs Army – smashing the target in the battle against this disease and I want to thank each and every one of you and The Sun newspaper for leading in this part of the national effort.”

Prue Leith said: “I would really encourage everyone to sign up to The Sun’s Jabs Army, and help out the centres to make the process go smoothly and quickly.”

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson said: “The vaccine roll-out is an incredible thing to witness — hard-working nurses and medics working crazy hours to get us all inoculated so we can get Britain moving again. Their dedication is truly humbling.

“But it is also the volunteers who help them in their important task who we have to thank — and who we also need. Without them the task is even harder, which is why The Sun’s Jabs Army is vital.”

Britain’s biggest firms have also thrown their weight behind it to help get the nation vaccinated including BT, Morrisons, British Airways, PaddyPower, Sky TV and others all backing the campaign calling on staff to sign up as volunteers to help the NHS achieve its historic victory over the pandemic.

VOLUNTEERS for The Sun Jabs Army are being asked to register online at nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk. They can also sign up on thesun.co.uk or by scanning the QR code published in The Sun newspaper.