Today (Wednesday, 4 August), after delivering 235,048 COVID-19 vaccinations, the Ashton Gate Vaccination Centre will close, with all appointments after moving to the Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol. The 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. It coincides with the next phase of the Vaccination Programme which will be focused on second doses, and gives us flexibility to plan for the future of the Programme.
People affected have been contacted by a text message from the National Booking Service (NBS) letting them know that the location of their appointment has changed. There is no need to contact the NHS about their appointment. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause some people. While we would encourage people to attend the Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol, if possible, 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’. Alternatively, they can call 119 or an up to date list of all the walk-in clinics in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) can be found at www.grabajab.net.
Ashton Gate Vaccination Centre opened on 11 January as the UK’s first Mass Vaccination Centre. Sitting alongside 19 GP-led clinics, 15 community pharmacies vaccination sites and 2 hospital hubs (now closed), the Centre has contributed to BNSSG’s strong uptake, with vaccinations in the area higher than the national average across all age groups.
Key facts
- 3 days to transform the Ashton Gate Stadium South Concourse into a Large Scale Vaccination Centre
- 235,048 vaccinations given
- 307 staff and 800 volunteers
- 19 Ashton Gate staff members transferred to work at the Vaccination Centre
- On 31 July kept the Vaccination Centre running alongside an Aston Villa football game with 7,500 spectators
Dr Tim Whittlestone, Clinical Lead for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme in BNSSG, said: “It is a bittersweet moment for our Vaccination Programme as we deliver the final vaccinations at Ashton Gate and fully transition to the large scale Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol. From the outset, the team at Ashton Gate have been fantastic partners. On an optimistic note, the prospect of Ashton Gate fully returning to being an amazing sports facility and events venue reassures us that life will return to normal. On behalf of the Programme, I’d like to thank everyone at the Stadium for their incredible support over the last seven months.”
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 @ UWE Bristol 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. It has a large free car park and is easily accessible by car from much of BNSSG, while the UWE Bristol Campus is a 15 minute bus journey from central Bristol.