'Huge' numbers apply for Covid marshal jobs on coast paying £10.75 an hour
A recruitment drive in Great Yarmouth is seeing a new pool of coronavirus marshals employed to perform a broad range of duties, as well as their core patrols. Picture: Daniel Hickey. - Credit: Archant
A council bid for paid coronavirus marshals has drawn a "huge response" as the authority looks to the wider public to take on the roles.
Some 17 full and part time marshals, who work seven days a week, were taken on just before Christmas in Great Yarmouth from among the general public.
Their duties include patrolling high footfall areas in Gorleston High Street and Yarmouth town centre, as well as the two seafronts.
They are also being used to control queues at vaccination centres and as pharmacy runners.
Now the council is casting its net further to employ a pool of casual marshals it can dip into at times of high demand.
The roles are in a salary band that pays up to £22,183 a year.
A council spokesman said the first marshals were drawn from its own employees, but the role had widened to take on a broad range of duties, still to do with Covid, under a longer term approach.
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He said the advertisement had drawn a "huge response" and applicants were still coming in.
A deserted seafront in Great Yarmouth. However people in the town have been fined for breaching coronavirus rules and Covid marshals regularly patrol the area. - Credit: Archant - Credit: Archant
Carl Smith, the council leader, said: “Originally, the coronavirus marshals were council officers who kindly put their names forward to fulfil to the coronavirus marshal role on individual days, with the majority of their week still spent doing their normal roles.
“To continue this valuable marshalling work on a longer-term basis, supported by national Government funding, the council is recruiting people to dedicated coronavirus marshal roles, with full training provided.
"They undertake the usual high profile patrols, plus a wider range of duties where there is a need for in-person community engagement to support public safety as part of the coronavirus response, including helping with the vaccination programme roll-out, track and trace, and testing.
“The first such marshals, a mixture of full and part time colleagues, were recruited and trained just before Christmas, and are already out doing good work in their community.
"These dedicated marshals were drawn from a wide cross-section of the community.
"We are now seeking further marshals, to supplement these on a casual basis when needs require, and we’ve had a huge and positive response from applicants."
Marshals have no enforcement powers but are there to "encourage the correct behaviour" under the Covid rules on staying at home and social distancing.
However, they can flag breaches to the relevant authorities.
To apply for one of the casual roles click the link here.
