MORE than 600 people a day are being vaccinated against Covid-19 at a Chester Masonic centre.

The Cheshire View Masonic Centre in Christleton is being used as a major vaccination hub in the fight against Covid-19, with hundreds of people a day who are patients of six key rural GP practices in the area seen by doctors and nursing staff.

In use as a vaccination hub since late December, the building – owned by Cheshire Freemasons – is better known as one of their meeting places and a popular wedding venue and conferencing centre, but now the entire ground floor has been adapted and given over to the Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS stakeholders.

The Freemasons have not been able to meet there for some time due to the Covid restrictions and were anxious that there building be put to some good use by the community.

Visiting teams of doctors and nurses from six key rural GP practices have been using the excellent facilities, free parking and Covid-19 safety protocols the hall has in place.

They are pleased to have offered vaccinations to all the 80+ community and are a base for the Nomad boxes, which are electronically controlled medical grade chiller boxes, allowing community outreach teams to deliver vaccines into old people’s homes and older people’s communities. This work is also now complete.

The outreach teams based from Cheshire View are now concentrating on those who are house-bound or more at risk and shielding.

The GP practices represent in excess of 180,000 patients of all ages, but the first cohorts called forward in a strict appointment system are of course being those deemed at greatest risk due to existing medical conditions, age and other factors.

Christleton Masonic Centre provides free hot drinks and chilled bottles to the NHS staff to keep them refreshed as well as cakes, fresh fruit and chocolate goodies.

A tray of cakes given by Rivacre Lodge.

A tray of cakes given by Rivacre Lodge.

Sainsbury's at Cheshire Oaks and Huntington have also provided refreshments free of charge and recently one of the Masonic Lodges which normally meets at Christleton, Rivacre Lodge brought in a large tray of cakes.

Stephen Cross, chairman of the board at Cheshire View, said: “Our members are proud that the Masonic Hall continues to serve the local community as it did for some weeks in the summer when it welcomed an entire local school unable to use its own buildings, along with regular blood donor sessions and now over the Christmas and New Year holidays and well into 2021 when our local medical professionals and trusted GPs begin the task to protect our community from this virus."