Ashton Gate Vaccine Center to move

ASHTON GATE VACCINATION CENTRE TO MOVE TO UWE FROM AUGUST 4TH

This move is prompted by the reduction in vaccination capacity at Ashton Gate as Lockdown eases and the stadium prepares for the full return of fans in August.

Vaccinating will continue at Ashton Gate until Wednesday, August 4th and the increased number of walk-in clinics across the area, along with the addition of the Vaccination Centre at UWE Bristol, means that vaccination capacity during July will be at a peak for the Programme. Visit www.grabajab.net for a full list of vaccination options.

From August 4th, all existing appointments for first and second dose vaccinations will move to the Vaccination Centre at UWE and will take place on the same date and time. Everyone affected will be contacted by text message from the National Booking Service.

There is no need to contact the NHS about your appointment. While we would encourage people to attend the Vaccination Centre at UWE if possible. There are also lots of appointments available in South Bristol, at GP clinics and Community Pharmacy sites close to Ashton Gate Stadium. You can also find an up to date list of all the walk-in clinics in BNSSG along with options for booking your appointment at www.grabajab.net.

The Vaccination Centre at UWE has a large free car park and is easily accessible by car, while the UWE Campus is a 15-minute bus journey from central Bristol. If the change of location is unsuitable, people can amend their first or second appointment by logging into the National Booking Service and selecting ‘manage my booking’. Dr Tim Whittlestone, Clinical Lead for BNSSG Vaccination Programme, said in an online statement: “Ashton Gate Stadium has been a flexible and generous partner for our large scale Vaccination Centre and we would not have been able to achieve the strong vaccination uptake in our area without Ashton Gate’s help. On behalf of the Programme, I’d like to thank everyone at the Stadium for their incredible support over the last seven months.

“I’d also like to thank all the staff and volunteers who have supported us at Ashton Gate; they have been phenomenal and we look forward to continuing to work with them at our new Vaccination Centre at UWE or elsewhere in our Vaccination Programme.”

Mark Kelly, Managing Director, Ashton Gate Stadium, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to help play such a vital role in the vaccination programme here in the South West. The stadium sits in the heart of its community and when we redeveloped it as a multi-use venue, we could never have imagined what was to unfold. We are thankful we’ve been able to help and wish our newfound friends and colleagues in the NHS the very best.

“We now look forward to the full return fans and guests to the stadium and will continue to support the NHS in any way we can, including the smooth transition of the vaccination centre from Ashton Gate to UWE.”

The Vaccination Centre at UWE is located at the Conference and Exhibition Centre on UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus and has a capacity of up to 2,000 vaccinations a day.