Plymouth CC's Mount Wise ground<br>credit: @ppauk | no re-use without consent of copyright holder

By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE

PLYMOUTH Cricket Club is poised to become a centre for Covid-19 vaccinations by the end of January.

NHS bosses approached the Tolchards Devon League Premier Club club to ask if it could host a five-days-a-week vaccination hub for the Mount Wise area of Plymouth. The target is to give 1,000 jabs a day.

As contract paperwork has not been signed yet, no official date for jabs to start being administered has been confirmed. It could be as soon as the start of next week.

Andy Sewell, the facilities manager for Plymouth CC, said the club jumped at the chance to do strengthen its links with the local community.

“Unlike some clubs that are out in the country in the middle of nowhere, our ground is surrounded by houses,” said Sewell.

“We have a pharmacy nearby and that will be involved in offering the jabs.

“Injections will be by appointment only – that is to say no turning up on spec – and available Monday-Friday from 8am-8pm.

“Our ground would be used as a centre for 12 weeks, starting later this month.

“We as a club are delighted to be doing something to help at this difficult time.

“We want out club to be at the heart of the local community and this is one way of doing that.”

Plymouth CC has not been idle on the community engagement front during the Covid-19 Crisis as hundreds of take-away meals have been provided for people living nearby.

“Back in May during the first national lockdown our resident chef Sonia Stafford started providing take-away meals twice a week,” said Sewell.

“We are now on our third lockdown meal service, offering traditional fish and chips every Friday and a roast dinner on Sundays.

“All our meals are served on plates – not in a box – and we will deliver them if asked to.

“The smells from the kitchen on Sunday lunchtimes are amazing. This Sunday it was roast beef, roast lamb or a vegetarian Wellington, with a choice of deserts.

“Our Sunday lunches have proved extremely popular with residents living in houses near the ground.”

Matt Theedom, the cricket development manager for Devon, congratulated Plymouth for their proactive role in combating the Covid-19 Crisis

“Plymouth CC are doing a fantastic job proving a cricket club is more than 22 yards of shaved grass out in the middle,” said Theedom.

“The club is proving a real benefit to the community around it and deserves to be highly commended.”