BASILDON Council has awarded Freedom of Entry to the Borough to the East of England Ambulance Service, in recognition of their heroic efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour awarded in exceptional circumstances, where the recipient has provided outstanding services which have brought significant pride and satisfaction to the borough.

This comes after four NHS organisations were granted Freedom of the Borough back in May, and a presentation event will soon take place where all five organisations will be recognised and presented with their awards.

The decision to honour the East of England Ambulance Service in this fitting way was unanimously agreed by councillors at an Extraordinary Council meeting.

The Mayor of Basildon Council Councillor David Dadds said: "Whilst we were staying at home to help the fight against Covid-19, our East of England Ambulance heroes were still out on the frontline working tirelessly every day to save lives. On behalf of the council and the borough, I would like to give our sincere thanks and gratitude to them.

"Though this award has come about through their incredible efforts during the adversity of Covid-19, the work they do daily, long before and long after the pandemic, is something that deserves special recognition of this kind. I'm delighted that we've been able to honour their dedication, strength and professionalism in this way."

Chief Executive of the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) Tom Abell said: "We are delighted to receive this honour from Basildon Council and it will be a real boost to our dedicated people who work so hard to serve their communities, day in, day out.

"I would like to personally thank the councillors for recognising our workforce in the face of the pressures brought on by the pandemic."