A former Isle of Wight businesswoman, who wanted to be a nurse as a child, has thrown herself into volunteering at Newport's Riverside Centre vaccination hub.

She is among those being celebrated during national Volunteers Week, which starts today (Tuesday).

Islander Shirley Winn is a volunteer coordinator and vaccinator, but pre-Covid ran the successful firm IOW Tours.

In 2019, IOW Tours won best group tour operator at the Group Travel Awards, run by Group Travel Magazine.

But in October 2020, IOW Tours collapsed, despite meetings between managing director Shirley and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, and Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps.

Shirley says it meant she had to start from scratch - and volunteering was the answer.

She said: “Before Covid-19, I had a successful travel agency and tour operating business on the Island and had to reinvent myself after losing my company.

“I'd been working as a funeral celebrant and saw the role as volunteer vaccinator, so did the training.

"I then saw an advert for NHS Providers, applied and was lucky enough to get a position.

“I would never have had this opportunity if Covid-19 hadn't come along and destroyed the travel industry.

"As a small child, I always wanted to be a nurse and now I'm going to go for it.”

Shirley is just one of the Islanders being thanked for their support of the Solent NHS Trust, which runs the Riverside Centre vaccination hub.

It relies on 170 volunteers a week, with Community Action Isle of Wight playing a leading role in recruiting and co-ordinating the volunteers.

Sue Harriman, chief executive, Solent NHS Trust, added: “We extend a huge thank you to our partners across the voluntary sector, including Community Action Isle of Wight.

"They are by our side every step of the way in helping provide the best care and support to those who need our help and services, we are really proud to have all of our volunteers in the Solent family.”