A Greater Manchester pharmacy near Timperley delivered the final Covid vaccination of the St John Ambulance (SJA) volunteer programme.

The regular volunteers celebrated with a small party at Baguley Pharmacy on Petersfield Drive, which hosted the vital service over the pandemic.

Usman Ali, pharmacist at Baguley Pharmacy, believes his vaccination site was able to run six days a week thanks only to SJA volunteers.

He said: “From the first shift until the last shift we’ve had vaccinators in and they’ve been the backbone of the workforce inside the pharmacy.

“We’re very grateful for all the help and support.”

There was a core of around 15 volunteers who together delivered countless vaccinations over the last two years.

Jan Norburn, a former paediatric nurse, was the first SJA volunteer vaccinator to arrive at Baguley Pharmacy and delivered the last jab of the entire scheme.

She said: “The whole team here are welcoming, they’re friendly, the minute anybody walks through the door there’s a big smile to welcome them, it’s just been lovely, and we’ve become part of that whole pharmacy team.

“There’s been that camaraderie all long, that learning together, that supporting one another, all the way through.”

Jan came from a medical background, but vaccinating has been a much steeper learning curve for some of the 30,000 vaccinators SJA trained.

John Evans spent his career in engineering, so felt completely out of his comfort zone vaccinating at first, but the team spirit at Baguley Pharmacy, with Usman always on hand to help, soon got him up to speed.

John said: “He’s quite an amazing chap, quite an amazing guy, he’s so friendly, he’s so welcoming and he doesn’t knock you back. He makes suggestions and he’s always willing to listen.

“It’s down to him that this place has thrived.”

The last jab took place at 5.50pm on March 31, a moment captured perfectly in the name of Baguley’s party-planning Whatsapp group, ‘The End of the Great Adventure’.

After some time off, both Jan and John are contemplating a return to Baguley Pharmacy to help Usman deliver Spring boosters.

“We can’t get rid of them,” Usman said wryly.

Jan said: “That great adventure’s finished, but we’re going to start a new little adventure, so that’s quite nice.

“We’ve got a chunk of heart that belongs here.”