Want a lift? FA offers transport to those wanting jab
Elderly and vulnerable people in Shropshire who are unable to get transport to new mass vaccination site in Birmingham are being offered a lift from an unlikely source.
Senior figures at the Shropshire FA have stepped up to offer the use of their minibus to transport people to the site at Millennium Point in Birmingham.
The mass vaccination site opened yesterday, and some Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin residents have received invitations to book an appointment at the site.
Ian Preece, Football Participation Officer at the Shropshire FA, Dave Simpson, the organisation's chairman, and Mick Murphy, business manager, said they wanted to provide help for people who do wish to take up an appointment.
Mr Preece said: "Dave and me have both heard stories of elderly people struggling to get to a vaccination point and we just want to help the community by offering the van and ourselves to convey people to the destination, with safeguards and full PPE."
He added: "We cannot even begin to think of the elderly being faced with such barriers at such an unsafe time. We want to offer our support so that all of those who qualify for the vaccination can do so and safely in a safely manner."
Mr Simpson said that the use of the van for the project had been fully supported by its sponsors TJ Vickers.
He said: "There are a lot of people in Telford who do not have the luxury of someone who can help get them to a place where they can have a vaccination. We just want to make sure we can help people who may be worried about it."
He added: "We can offer a service to the community to take any vulnerable person to be vaccinated. We could even take district nurses that can provide the vaccination around the county if that was something they want to do."
Anyone interested in arranging transport to the site can contact Ian on 07545 891769 or email ian preece@shropshirefa.com
