‘A great story of Reading team work’ – Watlington House hub will close on 3 July having delivered over 31,000 vaccinations

Organisation
Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)
Article date
30 June 2021
Primary interest
Health
A unique collaboration between Reading Central and Whitley PCNs, Reading Voluntary Action and Watlington House

The Garden Hall vaccine hub at Watlington House will close this Saturday, having delivered over 31,000 vaccinations and been supported by over 100 volunteers. Steve Hendry, RVA’s Volunteering Development Manager, who has been coordinating volunteer support for the hub, said: ‘We’ve been involved here at the Garden Hall vaccine hub since the start of January and we are so indebted to the volunteers who have come forward to help out.’

You can watch Steve’s full interview in the video below, which also shows the recent visit by the High Sheriff of Berkshire, Willie Hartley Russell MVO DL, to meet and thank the staff and volunteers who have made the hub work so well.

After the visit the High Sheriff said:

 I was delighted to have visited the Reading Central and Whitley Vaccination Hub to witness some of the great work undertaken by the Reading Central and Whitley PCNs, Reading Voluntary Action and Watlington House in a unique collaboration. The centre has administered over 31,000 vaccinations to the local community.  Along with the work of the medical and administration staff of the surgeries this great achievement has only been possible with the support of medical volunteers and over 100 volunteers from Reading Voluntary Action.  They have persevered through snow, floods and finally, on the day I visited, sunshine to deliver these vital vaccinations.

Cllr Page, Deputy Leader of RBC, has said about the hub:

Watlington House was a most efficient operation. Friendly volunteer ‘greeters’ followed by a commendably swift processing and then, within minutes, the injection. I walked there and back (and had no side effects) which made the whole exercise almost enjoyable!

Cllr David Stevens Mayor of Reading said:

The Mayoress and I received our jabs at the Watlington House vaccination centre. We were hugely impressed by the whole operation. The volunteers were welcoming and put everyone at ease. We actually received our jabs from Dr D’Cruz himself whilst he was overseeing the entire operation. At a time when the virus was causing so much disruption in our lives the centre was an absolute beacon of hope and reassurance that we would emerge from this awful experience. The whole team represented the best that we can do in this town and I will long remember the outstanding contribution they have made to getting us back to normal life.

Cllr Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Culture, Heritage and Recreation said:

The Vaccination Hub at Watlington House has been exemplary all along. I had both my jabs there and couldn’t be more pleased by how efficient the whole operation was and how welcoming the staff and volunteers were.

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