Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation give vaccination effort a shot in the arm

Craig Fisher, of Trinity Community Foundation and Wakefield Trinity Ladies FC footballer Emily Wright at the vaccination centre.

A total of 73 volunteers have agreed to take part in the programme’s first five weeks, working with NHS Spectrum Community Health CIC’s Navigation Walk vaccination centre in non-clinical roles.

People in the nationally agreed priority groups who live up to 30 to 45 minutes’ drive from the vaccination centres are receiving an invitation letter from the NHS national booking service.

The Wakefield centre is one of 33 sites recently opened as the government ramps-up large-scale vaccination throughout the UK.

Foundation spokesman Craig Shepherd believes the national vaccine programme is a step towards a return to normality almost a year into the coronavirus crisis.

Wide-spread immunisation could also be the key to fans returning to sports events, including Betfred Super League which is due to begin on March 25.

Trinity have not played in front of a crowd since a home Challenge Cup win over Bradford Bulls 11 months ago.

“The prolonged pandemic is causing further damage to the physical and emotional health of residents within our communities,” Shepherd said.

“Anything we can do to support a return to normality is time well spent, whether it be to get children back to school, valuable projects back up and running in communities or even to see fans back in sports stadiums.

“Like many third sector organisations, we stood up to the challenge in the beginning, the middle and hopefully now at the end.”

Dr Linda Harris, chief executive of Spectrum Community Health CIC and medical director for the vaccination centre said support from the foundation and people in Wakefield has been “absolutely fantastic”.

She said: “The foundation came forward and offered their assistance which has been invaluable in this first week’s roll-out of vaccinations.

“Patients visiting our Navigation Walk centre have been so pleased with how they’ve been looked after – a credit to everyone involved.”

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