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Romney Marsh's second vaccine centre to open in New Romney Old School building
14:41, 29 January 2021
updated: 15:05, 29 January 2021
Life-saving jabs fighting Covid-19 will soon be administered in an historic school building.
Work has already started to transform the 200 year old New Romney Old School, in Church Road, into a vaccination centre.
It is expected to open from Saturday, February 6 and will be the second vaccine site on Romney Marsh - the first opened at Lydd Airport earlier this month.
Three vaccine areas will be set up inside the building, plus a recovery area.
Its launch comes after the government announced the use of High Street pharmacies to deliver the vaccine.
Tayo Bella, who runs the New Romney Pharmacy in High Street, and his staff petitioned NHS England to allow them to deliver the Oxford-AstraZeneca injection.
They then completed the necessary procedures and other documents to meet NHS requirements.
Mr Bella, with the help of New Romney mayor, Cllr Paul Thomas, and Jon Wilson, CEO of the Romney Marsh Community Support Hub, then established the Old School as a suitable location to deliver the jab.
Cllr Thomas said: "Its proximity to New Romney Pharmacy, both doctors’ surgeries, bus stops in the High Street and the town centre car park in Church Road, made it an ideal location.
"The additional benefits included welfare facilities that could be utilised by both clinical staff and volunteers, during the long days required to meet the programme.
"And in true New Romney community style, the 1st New Romney Scout group offered the car park at their HQ in Church Lane, for the use of clinical staff and volunteers."
Volunteers from the community hub will provide support.
Old School first opened in 1821 and was used to educate many generations of children.
It closed in the 1960s and fell into disrepair. The New Romney Old School Trust formed in 1993, and thanks to fundraising activity and a grant from the National Lottery the building was restored and re-opened in 2000.
More recently Old School has hosted an array of events, classes, clubs and sales and also houses the town’s museum.
Vaccinations at the building will be appointment only and the site will be open 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays.
It will become the fifth vaccination site in the Folkestone district.
As well as Lydd Airport, one is operating at Oaklands Health Centre in Hythe and at the Civic Centre and former Debenhams store, both in Folkestone.
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