Brighton & Hove Albion are to open their Amex Stadium facility as a training centre for about 200 COVID-19 vaccinator volunteers as the club continue their support for the NHS, healthcare services and local community during the pandemic.
Members of St John Ambulance will use the stadium to train volunteers to administer the vaccine, a skill they will put into practice across Sussex as NHS vaccination centres come online.
"We are delighted to be able to help with the national effort to get the population vaccinated by providing several of our hospitality areas for socially distanced vaccination training for local volunteers," Paul Barber, Brighton's chief executive and deputy chairman, told the club's official website.
Supporting key services
"We have been committed to supporting the NHS, St John Ambulance and other key healthcare workers in any way we can throughout the pandemic, and as we start to see a light at the end of the tunnel, we will do everything we possibly can to support the national effort to get there."
Brighton and the club's official charity, Albion in the Community, have continued to offer both practical and emotional support to the local community over the past few months.
The Amex was used as a mass testing centre last April, the NHS have used the venue for storage and training purposes.
During the first lockdown, a significant five-figure donation was also made from the Albion As One fund to NHS trusts across Sussex, while the club helped to distribute more than 12,500 free meals to vulnerable people across Sussex in only eight weeks.
Other Premier League clubs have also announced partnerships with their local NHS trusts since the latest lockdown was announced.
Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Manchester City are allowing their stadiums or facilities to be used as vaccination centres, while hotel rooms at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge are again being offered to NHS staff at the local hospital.
See: Clubs offer stadiums to help NHS in fight against pandemic
