• Slashing the time to develop vaccines for new diseases to 100 days will save countless lives in future health crises
• UK confirms it will send the majority of any future surplus vaccines to the COVAX scheme to support developing countries

The Prime Minister is setting out his ambition today to cut the time to develop new vaccines by two-thirds to 100 days, as he chairs the first G7 leaders’ meeting of the UK’s presidency.

He has asked Sir Patrick Vallance to work with international partners, including the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), as well as industry and scientific experts to advise the G7 on speeding up the process for developing vaccines, treatments and tests for common pathogens.

The development of a coronavirus vaccine in approximately 300 days was a huge and unprecedented global achievement. By reducing the time to develop new vaccines for emerging diseases even further, we may be able to prevent the catastrophic health, economic and social repercussions seen in this crisis. The 100 day ambition was proposed by CEPI earlier this year.

Through international collaboration to intensify research and development, modernise medical trials and create more innovative vaccine manufacturing and supply chains, we can save lives in future health crises and prevent the next pandemic.

The Prime Minister has also confirmed today that the UK will share the majority of any future surplus coronavirus vaccines from our supply with the COVAX procurement pool to support developing countries, in addition to the UK’s £548 million funding for the scheme. He will be encouraging G7 leaders to increase their funding for COVAX in support of equitable access to vaccines.

Speaking ahead of today’s meeting, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

Perhaps more than ever, the hopes of the world rest on the shoulders of scientists and over the last year, like countless times before, they have risen to the challenge.

The development of viable coronavirus vaccines offers the tantalising prospect of a return to normality, but we must not rest on our laurels. As leaders of the G7 we must say today: never again.

By harnessing our collective ingenuity, we can ensure we have the vaccines, treatments and tests to be battle-ready for future health threats, as we beat Covid-19 and build back better together.

Delivering on the objectives in the Prime Minister’s Five Point Plan to Prevent Future Pandemics – first set out at the UN last year – will be a key focus of the UK’s G7 presidency this year. The Prime Minister will also call on G7 leaders to support a treaty on pandemic preparedness through the WHO.

Today’s meeting will be the first hosted by the PM as part of the UK’s G7 Presidency this year and the first gathering of G7 leaders since April 2020.

At the meeting leaders are expected to confirm their support for the UK’s G7 health priorities and discuss wider efforts to address global challenges and secure a sustainable, green economic recovery from coronavirus, as well as a number of foreign policy issues.

Cross-Government Apprenticeship Buddy Scheme – Information pack for candidates and buddies

Introduction to the Buddy Scheme

Our ODP Cross-Government Buddy Scheme is here to help increase Apprenticeship support for those undertaking the ODAS Apprenticeship. We understand that everyone learns differently so we offer this scheme as an option to those who feel they would benefit from further support during their journey.
For those who have completed their Apprenticeship already, this is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge, by leading and managing Apprentices, whilst working collaboratively across different government departments. Buddies will offer additional support and guidance to people who are currently undertaking the same Apprenticeship that they have previously completed. It is an informal support network that will be carried out in a way that the buddy and Apprentices agree suits everyone best. In this pack we will outline what you can expect from the Buddy Scheme and explain how you can get involved if you haven’t done so already!

Roles and Responsibilities – who is involved?

Buddies

• Provide support and guidance to your apprenticeship
• Answer queries regarding the apprenticeship
• Encourage discussion between yourself and your apprentice
• Lead and manage your apprentice
• Update the ODP central team if a candidate completes their apprenticeship or withdraws
• Progress queries if answers cannot be provided immediately

Candidates

• Engage with your buddy and fellow apprentices
• Be open to suggestions and advice
• Take part in group discussions and share best practices with other apprentices where possible
• Feedback to your buddy on how effective you are finding the support and suggest ideas for improvement where required

ODP Central Team

• Manage any enquiries regarding the scheme
• Be a main point of contact for buddies where support is required

It is important that although you are there to support each other and share best practices you must not plagiarise each other’s work – this may be viewed as serious misconduct

LISTR

If you have not yet registered yourself onto the LISTR tool you will need to do this in order to start your buddy/apprentice journey, you can do this by clicking here – Listr tool – Register and entering your email address and a password and clicking “register my account”

To register as a buddy: If you are interested in registering as a buddy all you need to do is register yourself on LISTR. During the registration process you will be asked if you would like to be a buddy and which ODP qualification you have completed. Once you are registered on LISTR candidates can directly request you as their buddy – you will be given the option to accept or decline any candidates.

To register as an apprentice: If you are interested in matching with a buddy to help you with your qualification, please follow our quick guide below once you have registered on LISTR

1. First, update your profile to specify that you are currently undertaking an Apprenticeship.

2. Next, click apprenticeship buddying which can be found in the ‘Community’ section.

3. You will then be presented with a directory which lists all users that have previously completed an apprenticeship identical to yours (as specified in step 1). You can refine the directory further using various other criteria found under the Filter controls located at the top of the page.

4. Once you have found a person you would like to buddy with, you can use the ‘Connection Request’ button found next to their listing.

5. You can now leave your potential buddy a message to introduce yourself. Once you have submitted your request, Listr will email the person to let them know and you can await their response.

If the person you have selected declines your request you can ask somebody else to potentially buddy you – there are no limits to how many people you can request but we do recommend that you only have one buddy.

Next Steps

Once you have found a suitable match and have contacted them direct, we would advise that you arrange a time/date suitable for you both to review where the apprentice is currently up to with their apprenticeship and how the buddy feels they could support the apprentice best. Before starting this process have a think about what you would like to get from the scheme and make a note of any ideas you might have about how you can contribute and ways you can communicate across government. Buddies should think about how much time you can dedicate and what support you can offer. Consider practical issues, such as how you would prefer the apprentice group to contact you? We would recommend that apprentices remain with the same buddy for the duration of their apprenticeship, as a minimum. Hopefully you will remain in contact with your buddy/apprentice following completion of their qualification however, offering continuous development and support across government as your careers progress.

Hints and Tips

Please remember that the Buddy Scheme is flexible in order to accommodate all and will develop depending on the requirements of the individuals involved. It’s up to you to decide how you wish to communicate, how often and what forums you may use.

Apprentices

It is important that you get what you need from your buddy so please come to all meetings arranged by your buddy fully prepared. You may wish to consider pulling together any questions/issues you are having with your apprenticeship and sending them to your buddy prior to these meetings. This would enable your buddy to ensure they are equipped to answer all of your questions.

Buddies

Once you have received contact from your apprentice, we recommend that an initial telekit is arranged by you to introduce yourself, from here you can decide how you both wish to proceed. A suggested agenda for the first chat is:

1. Introductions and ice breaker
2. Where you are on your journey (have you completed any units yet, when did you register for you apprenticeship, how long have you got left to complete)?
3. Aims & objectives – what do you want to get from the scheme, what support would you like, how will you communicate with each other? What part of your apprenticeship are you most worried about?
4. Agreed outcomes – for example will you be having monthly dial-ins, are you going to set up an online forum for discussions? Will you be contacting each other via email?

Both

We’ve included below a list of things that could be considered by buddies and apprentices when arranging their meetings:

• Monthly telekits
• Online forums for buddies with more than one apprentice
• 1-2-1’s – conducted over the phone, face-to-face, email
• Webinars, video conferencing
• Revision sessions
• Proof reading
• Email contact
• Buddy diary – issues log to record FAQ’s
• Apprentice diary – recording development, best practice, obstacles faced.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as “presenting someone else’s work, in whole or in part, as your own. Work means any intellectual output, and typically includes text, data, images, sound or performance”. (University of Leeds, 2017)

It is important that everybody fully understand what plagiarism is and the techniques that can be used to avoid plagiarising. For units with written assignments candidates will be asked to submit a statement of authenticity confirming that the work being submitted is their own. When submitting any work (including exam papers) electronically candidates are also declaring that the work is authentic and is their own.

In cases where plagiarism is identified these will be investigated further by Premier Partnership and City & Guilds and may result in candidates being disqualified from the qualification itself. Plagiarism and malpractice will not be tolerated, any incidents will also be reported to candidates departments and may result in disciplinary action.
We would recommend completing the You Be the Judge activity and Recognising Plagiarism to test your understanding. If you anybody is still unsure what constitutes plagiarism, or would like to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact the ODP Central Team learningandaccreditationteam.centralodp@hmrc.gov.uk.

FAQ’s

Q: What do I do if I no longer want to take part in the scheme? A: If you’re an Apprentice please discuss this with your buddy at the earliest opportunity. Involvement in the scheme is not mandatory, if at any time you wish to withdraw you can. If you are a buddy please contact your Apprentice and tell them of your decision to enable them to contact potential new buddies at their earliest convenience.

Q: As a buddy how much time will I need to dedicate to this? I’m worried that I won’t be able to fit this in around my day job… A: How much time you put in is entirely up to you, however the more you put in, the more you will get out of it. As a buddy you’ll be facilitating and encouraging your Apprentices. How you chose to support your Apprentices will depend on what you decided between yourselves. For example, you may decide to offer a monthly dial in for an hour or set up an online forum where you can manage and answer queries as they are raised.

For help and support with learning please email learningandaccreditationteam.centralodp@hmrc.gov.uk

For help with LISTR/Account issues please use the “help” button at the top of the Listr tool – Register

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced the final awards to be allocated from the first round of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The latest grants, awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, build on over £1 billion awarded to a huge range of cultural and heritage organisations last year.

Ambitious projects at 22 heritage organisations will benefit from £13.5 million in targeted grants allocated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to restart regeneration and maintenance projects that were planned before the pandemic and now face delays or increased costs.

33 cinemas across England will benefit from £5 million awarded by the BFI as the final applications for independent cinemas are processed ahead of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

From restoring Georgian lidos and Roman baths to saving local screens and synagogues, our Culture Recovery Fund is helping to save the places people can’t wait to get back to, when it is safe to do so.

All over the country, this funding is protecting the venues that have shaped our history and make us proud of our communities, whilst safeguarding the livelihoods of the people that work in them.

A grant of £497,000 will go to the Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the UK, to protect its collection of significant objects and illuminate the history of the site and the community which has worshipped there for 300 years.

More than 90% of the grants allocated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund have been awarded to heritage projects outside of London, ensuring that the future of important projects at historic places are protected in all corners of England.

The Black Country Living Museum is currently operating as a vaccination centre, however prior to the pandemic the museum had been planning the single biggest development in its history which would create a new area on site exploring the history of the region through the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. A grant of £3,740,000 will help this ambitious project continue, creating opportunities for work and skills development in the local area.

£290,000 will ensure the plans to restore Cleveland Pools into a vibrant community asset can still go ahead as planned despite the pandemic. The Grade II* listed site is one of the oldest surviving outdoor lidos in Britain and visitors of all ages will be able to swim in the redeveloped crescent pool all year round from 2022.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive, National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

These are all ongoing major refurbishment and restoration projects, funded by us, which have been threatened by the pandemic. From the oldest surviving outdoor swimming baths to a Victorian pier, and from a much-loved park to an historic abbey, these are all places that will enrich hundreds of lives when they reopen. We are delighted this extra funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will ensure that these exciting projects will go ahead.

In addition, the BFI has awarded £5 million in grants to 33 cinemas, including two major independent companies operating cinemas across England. These grants to cinemas mean that 207 independent cinemas have been supported by the Culture Recovery Fund, 83% of which are outside London.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive, BFI said:

Across the country, local independent cinemas are lifelines for communities and often the only form of culture and entertainment. As well as bringing people together to enjoy the magic of the big screen, local cinemas are hubs for educational and film activities and provide thousands of jobs. The pandemic has made clear just how important local communities are and the support of the Culture Recovery Fund means that many cinemas will be able to reopen and play a vital role in local economies and regeneration.

Reel Cinemas has been awarded £1,500,000 to support 13 multiplexes which will be crucial to the economic and cultural recovery of the communities they serve from Wakefield to Fareham.

KC Suri, Head of Reel Cinemas, said:

It has been very important to us to pursue all opportunities to protect the jobs of every staff member at Reel Cinemas, and to enable the cinemas to reopen, when permitted, to continue to serve our communities. This is why we want to thank the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the BFI who have awarded us this grant from the Culture Recovery Fund. This vital funding will enable us to protect job security and to manage our business sustainability at this challenging time.

Light Cinemas will benefit from a grant of £2,928,364 to support 10 cinema sites across the North, Midlands, and South East, ensuring their broad film programming and important community engagement can restart when cinemas can safely reopen.

Keith Pullinger, Deputy Chairman & Founder, The Light Cinemas said:

We want to thank everyone at the BFI and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for supporting us through the process to receive a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund. Covid-19 has devastated our finances and this grant is essential to protect our future and ensure our survival. There is still a lot of work to do, but we now have a platform to start rebuilding our business from. Our landlords and suppliers will need to play their part but this will help protect the jobs of the 220 people who are employed at our cinemas. We look forward to delighting our guests once more when we reopen all our sites later this year.

Ten awards totalling £636,887 in essential support to independent cinemas across England brings the total of grants awarded in the first round of funding for the sector to £21,080,662.

The BFI, along with National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and Arts Council England, are currently assessing applications for the remaining £400 million in funding from the Culture Recovery Fund, which was held back to allow the Government to support organisations through the Spring and Summer.

Recipients from the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund have contributed stunning images to a curated collection of video call backgrounds, released today. The public can choose from famous arts venues and heritage sites from Durham Cathedral and the English National Ballet to local favourites like Heaton Moor’s Savoy cinema to use as their background and show their support for the cultural sectors. The backgrounds are free to download.

Notes to Editors

The list of capital grant awards from National Lottery Heritage Fund is:

The list of cinemas receiving grants in this round from the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas allocated by the British Film Institute is:

• Reel Cinemas supported are in Borehamwood, Bridgnorth (Majestic), Burnley/Hollywood Park, Chippenham, Chorley, Fareham/Market Quay, Ilkeston (Scala), Kingston Upon Hull, Morecambe, Quinton/Dudley, Rochdale, Wakefield and Widnes.
• Light Cinemas supported are in Addlestone, Bolton, Bradford, Cambridge, New Brighton, Sheffield, Stockport, Thetford, Walsall and Wisbech.

The UK’s next generation of pioneering inventors will be backed by a new independent scientific research agency, the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced today (Friday 19 February), as part of government plans to cement the UK’s position as a global science superpower.

The new agency, the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA), will be tasked with funding high-risk research that offers the chance of high rewards, supporting ground-breaking discoveries that could transform people’s lives for the better.

The UK has a long and proud history of inventing that dates back centuries – from Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing who pioneered early predecessors of the computer, Thomas Newcomen and James Watt who transformed travel by creating steam engines, William Grove who created fuel cells and Frank Partridge who helped save millions of lives by developing the first portable defibrillator.

The creation of ARIA will continue this tradition, backed by £800 million, to fund the most inspiring inventors to turn their transformational ideas into new technologies, discoveries, products and services – helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global science superpower.

The new agency will be independent of government and led by some of the world’s most visionary researchers who will be empowered to use their knowledge and expertise to identify and back the most ambitious, cutting-edge areas of research and technology – helping to create highly skilled jobs across the country. It will be able to do so with flexibility and speed by looking at how to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and experimenting with different funding models.

ARIA will be based on models that have proved successful in other countries, in particular the influential US Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) model. This was instrumental in creating transformational technologies such as the internet and GPS, changing the way people live and work, while increasing productivity and growth. More recently, ARPA’s successor, DARPA, was a vital pre-pandemic funder of mRNA vaccines and antibody therapies, leading to critical COVID therapies.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

From the steam engine to the latest artificial intelligence technologies, the UK is steeped in scientific discovery. Today’s set of challenges – whether disease outbreaks or climate change – need bold, ambitious and innovative solutions.

Led independently by our most exceptional scientists, this new agency will focus on identifying and funding the most cutting-edge research and technology at speed.

By stripping back unnecessary red tape and putting power in the hands of our innovators, the agency will be given the freedom to drive forward the technologies of tomorrow, as we continue to build back better through innovation.

Central to the agency will be its ability to deliver funding to the UK’s most pioneering researchers flexibly and at speed, in a way that best supports their work and avoids unnecessary bureaucracy. It will experiment with funding models including program grants, seed grants, and prize incentives, and will have the capability to start and stop projects according to their success, redirecting funding where necessary. It will have a much higher tolerance for failure than is normal, recognising that in research the freedom to fail is often also the freedom to succeed.

Science and Innovation Minister Amanda Solloway said:

The UK’s scientific community has a proud history of discovery, producing iconic inventors such as Alan Turing whose imagination and creativity changed the world as we know it.

But to rise to the challenges of the 21st century we need to equip our R&D community with a new scientific engine – one that embraces the idea that truly great successes come from taking great leaps into the unknown.

ARIA will unleash our most inspirational scientists and inventors, empowering them with the freedom to drive forward their scientific vision and explore game-changing new ideas at a speed like never before. This will help to create new inventions, technologies and industries that will truly cement the UK’s status as a global science superpower.

Legislation to create the new research agency will be introduced to Parliament as soon as parliamentary time allows. The aim is for it to be fully operational by 2022.

Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance said:

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency will build on the UK’s world-class scientific research and innovation system. The importance of scientific innovation has never been clearer than over the last year and this new body provides an exciting new funding mechanism for pioneering R&D.

The new body will complement the work of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) while building on the government’s ambitious R&D Roadmap published in July 2020. In November 2020, the Spending Review set out the government’s plan to cement the UK’s status as a global leader in science and innovation by investing £14.6 billion in R&D in 2021 to 2022, putting the UK on track to reach 2.4% of GDP being spent on R&D across the UK economy by 2027.

A recruitment campaign will begin over the coming weeks to identify a world class interim Chief Executive and Chair to shape the vision, direction and research priorities for the agency.

ARIA will be backed by £800 million of government funding over the course of this Parliament, as set out by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the March 2020 Budget.

Matthew Fell, CBI UK Chief Policy Director said:

ARIA will create new opportunities for high-risk, high-reward research. As world leaders in R&D and home to the brightest and best scientists, the UK has a unique opportunity to play to its strength with this new agency, to help create jobs, raise productivity and tackle the biggest challenges facing our country such as net-zero. Key to ARIA’s success will be strong business engagement to make sure the brilliant ideas developed can make it through to market.

This a prime chance for business, government and the research and innovation community to work together and turn ambitions into realities. And coalesce around an shared economic vision for the next decade in which innovation will be at the heart of it. The CBI looks forward to engaging with the government as it looks to develop its proposals further.

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

We are delighted to see the government deliver on its commitment to a high-risk high-reward funding agency. I hope this ambitious new funding mechanism will help to unlock radical innovation and enable step changes in technology that provides value for our economy and society at large. Engineering is central to an ambitious innovation agency of this kind, forming the bridge between research and innovation to enable technological and commercial breakthroughs.

Previous comments provided as evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee as part of its formal inquiry into the proposition of a new UK research funding agency include:

Universities UK

There is space in the UK’s research landscape for a new funding agency that supports high risk, high pay off investment. It should be designed to complement the wider system of funding streams that already exist and should be tied closely to a well-funded university research network.

Royal Society

A UK ARPA could facilitate investments in technologies with radical potential that may not otherwise receive support through existing mechanisms. It is important that this differentiated focus is clearly articulated and understood.

Institute of Physics

The ARPA model’s focus on the future would also be a welcome addition to the UK’s R&D funding system, scanning the horizon for areas of research and technology development that may not have an obvious immediate market application but that are likely to benefit the industries of tomorrow, in 10, even 20 years’ time.

• Range of frames and GIFs with designs featuring the NHS, the Premier League, the Beano and Charlie Mackesy
• Images are available across the UK and allow users to show “I’ve had my vaccine” or pledge “I’ll get my vaccine”

British institutions the Premier League and the Beano, much loved author, artist and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, and social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are backing a new nationwide social media campaign launched by government and the NHS for people to show their support for the vaccine roll-out.

The new initiative allows users to update their profiles with a range of specially designed profile frames and graphics. People can use these to show “I’ve had my vaccine” or make a pledge that “I will get my vaccine” when their time comes. Famous faces including iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes and actor Brian Blessed are among those set to join in with the campaign.

During the pandemic social media has been a vital tool for people to connect and share updates with their loved ones. The new collection of graphics will allow people to celebrate getting the vaccine with their family, friends and followers and say thank you to the hard work of our NHS heroes.

The designs launched today include artwork featuring the NHS, the Premier League, British favourite the Beano and beloved author, artist and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, who have all helped create images for those that wish to show their support for the vaccine roll-out.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

It’s truly remarkable how quickly we are meeting our vaccine roll-out targets and so protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities. The pace and progress of the roll-out is testament to the way such a huge team has pulled together to support each other through this pandemic, and the tremendous national effort of our NHS workers, volunteers, local partners and the armed forces.

We know people are turning to social media more than ever to stay in touch with family and friends. These new graphics will make it easy for people to share their support for the jab and thank the NHS – whether that’s to mark the pivotal moment that they get their vaccine, or pledge to get it when it’s their turn.

It’s been inspiring to hear the stories of people getting their jab across all 4 corners of the UK and it’s vital we keep up this momentum.

The range of new Facebook frames and Instagram GIFs will be ready to use on social media from today (19 February) and will also be available in 13 languages from Monday so that people from communities all across the UK can support the campaign. The campaign aims to reach tens of millions of people across the UK as the roll-out continues over the next few months. These will be the first in a series of graphics created for a range of platforms that will launch over the coming months.

The roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine is the largest medical deployment in UK history. Over 16 million people have now received their first dose of the vaccine across the UK, and this week people in priority groups 5 and 6 started to receive their jabs as the roll-out expands further.

NHS England’s primary care director and London GP Nikki Kanani said:

I’ve seen first-hand the enthusiasm for being protected when vaccinating people against coronavirus, and it’s great people have a new way of showing support for the roll-out online – it’s vital everyone is confident to have the vaccine when it is their turn to do so.

Vaccines are safe, simple and effective, and word of mouth is a great way of communicating that message so that our friends, family and loved ones are encouraged to take up the jab.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said:

Throughout the pandemic, Premier League clubs and players have been proud to provide a wide range of support to local communities, the NHS and other frontline workers – from direct financial contributions to providing facilities for medical use and helping vulnerable members of society. We are pleased to be able to extend this support and help promote important messaging around the vaccine programme.

Charlie Mackesy said:

The vaccination programme has brought hope to many, and I’m happy to help people mark the moment they get the vaccine and give thanks to our wonderful NHS.

As well as promoting the new campaign, Facebook and Instagram have worked closely with the NHS and government throughout the pandemic to help direct people to accurate information and advice, and to do more to identify and take action to remove incorrect claims about the virus.

Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said:

We’ve been supporting the NHS and the UK government throughout the pandemic by directing over 10 million people to their websites and sharing vital information within our Facebook COVID-19 Hub. We’re promoting these unique profile frames and GIFs to all UK Facebook and Instagram users to raise vital vaccine confidence and we’re giving free advertising credits to the NHS so they can reach the public with their campaign.

I got my vaccine this week and feel grateful to the NHS for all their hard work so I want to show my support in whatever way I can. It only takes a minute to change your profile picture – why not give it a go today!

The UK’s vaccination programme will be extended to more groups in the coming months, with the government aiming to offer the vaccine to everyone over 50 by May, and all adults by September.

Background information

Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine

The Facebook frames and GIPHY stickers will be available in English from Friday 19 February and in all UK language variations from Monday 22 February.

Last week, the government and NHS published a new plan setting out the work we are doing in partnership with communities at a national and local level to increase vaccine uptake and ensure equity of access. Building on work already underway to reach more hesitant audiences, which includes translating vaccine resources into over 13 languages, the plan aims to raise awareness of how the NHS is making vaccination accessible to all, especially ethnic minorities, homeless people, asylum seekers and those with disabilities.

How-to guide to using Facebook frames and Instagram GIFs

Facebook frame: desktop

To add one of the COVID-19 vaccine frames to your profile picture:

1. Go to www.facebook.com/profilepicframes
2. Search for the ‘NHS Covid Vaccine’ frames and select the one you want to use
3. Click ‘Use as Profile Picture’ in the bottom right of the screen to save

Facebook frame: in-app

To add one of the COVID-19 vaccine frames to your profile picture:

1. Open your profile in the Facebook app
2. Click your profile picture
3. Click ‘Add frame’
4. Search for the ‘NHS Covid Vaccine’ frames and select the one you want to use
5. Click ‘Use as Profile Picture’ to save

Instagram GIPHY

To use one of the COVID-19 vaccine instagram stickers (from GIPHY) on your Instagram story:

1. Open instagram and add to your story – take a new picture or use a photograph or video of your choosing
2. From your instagram story, tap the ‘add media’ button, or swipe up to add Stickers from GIPHY
3. In the search bar, use the search term ‘NHS Covid Vaccine’ and select a sticker of your choosing (scroll through the options to find the one you want to use)
4. Position this on your story image or video
5. Use the hashtag #CovidVaccine if you wish, then post