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Dedicated to helping his community
December 2020
When the country went into coronavirus lockdown this year, one Royal Navy sailor sprang into action to protect his local community with all the dedication and efficiency of a military operation.
Chief Petty Officer Sean Mackenzie has served in the Royal Navy for 29 years and works at Royal Navy Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall. So when people in his village of Tregony faced the uncertainty of lockdown in March, CPO Mackenzie knew exactly what to do.
In the navy, he specialises in logistics at 1700 Naval Air Squadron, which deploys teams of sailors around the world to allow flying operations on navy warships, support ships and air bases. He also supervises a team of 70 personnel at Culdrose's extensive supply chain depot.
“From the first day of lockdown, | got together with a couple of former military men and we created our own group,” he said. “We did rounds of the village and we deliberately made it as military as we could. | wanted to help my community and these people in it are all part of that together.”
His team of volunteers, which grew to 27 people, immediately set up a 'smiley-face system” where anyone, many of them elderly, could indicate with a simple sign in their window if they needed help or not.
Regular smiley-face patrols were soon underway every day in the village of around 450 households. This was followed by a 'buddy system”, where socially-isolated people could receive a visit and talk to someone - for many it could be their only contact all day, [...] from a safe distance outside.
The team also prepared an emergency kitchen [...] established their own foodbank and updated noticeboards with the latest advice.
They bought food for those who could not get out, including up to 20 visits a day to the local shop. Soon, dogwalking and pizza-delivery services followed as well as a medicine delivery service, which collected more than 2,000 prescriptions over lockdown, which were then personally handed out to each patient.
Al of this was on top of Chief Petty Officer Mackenzie's responsibilities at work, where he continued as a key-worker, helping to ensure that the Royal Navy could still meet its key defence requirements.
“ was really aware that everyone needed help and | was capable of helping. | was also aware that my own parents were sat in a similar situation, but 300 miles away. Here | could do something to help my community.”
He has now been singled out for an award by the commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose, Captain Stuart Finn, who said: “Chief Petty Officer Mackenzie has displayed exemplary leadership skills, both in his professional capacity with the Royal Navy and a selfless approach to service in his local community.”
(Adapted from “Dedicated to helping his community”. Naval News, p. 39, December 2020. & https:/Mww.cornwalllive.com)