Kind donations from local businesses have been helping the local team running the Vaccination Clinic at the Somer Centre, Midsomer Norton, to stay warm. For ventilation and flow of patients through the building, the team have had to keep the doors open – which has made it very, very cold. Last Friday staff and volunteers were surprised with hot drink donations from local companies, Concept Accountancy, Pure Taste and the town’s Costa Coffee to show their appreciation.

Claire Battle, from Concept Accountancy, told The Journal: “We were delighted to hear that Midsomer Norton has begun rolling out the Covid-19 Vaccine at the Somer Centre. It is certainly a blessing for people unable to travel to the national hub in Bristol.

“The centre is very well organised and the staff and volunteers running the sessions are doing a great job for our local community. They are working very long hours and often in draughty conditions due to COVID-19 ventilation. As a business, we wanted to thank them for their hard work with a little treat. With the help from Pure Taste, we have donated a couple of morning’s refreshment runs to them over the last week.

“We would like to appeal to our local community and businesses to ask if you can join us in helping to provide refreshments for this worthwhile service.”

There is an amazing effort unfolding at the Somer Centre and we at The Journal have been receiving lots of comments about how well the team are doing. One patient said that the person who administered her jab had completed a shift at her GP surgery and instead of going home, went to the Somer Centre to help.

The clinic is being run with the help of nine practices: Hillcrest, Harptree, Elm Hayes, Chew Medical, Hope House, St Mary’s, Westfield, St Chad’s and Somerton House. One of the co-ordinators said: “We have all contributed staff for the various roles needed, as we have such a short time to use the large amount of vaccines that are delivered. We had Doctors and Nurses vaccinating, Pharmacists preparing the vaccine for use, Admin staff entering the vaccination details for each patient on to a national system and lots of other staff screening, manning the car park, directing and monitoring patients.

“Each day the Somer Centre was open from 8 am to 6.30 pm with staff there for much longer. The atmosphere was amazing, a real team effort, working with colleagues that we have never met, but having spent so much time together we now know well. The patients arriving from each surgery so happy and grateful – they were a joy to see and hear their stories.

“It has been very cold. Each day we put on more layers but it was never enough; we had breaks every hour for infection control and there was a scramble for the radiators and staff doing star jumps to get warm. We were not able to have coffee making facilities due to infection control so the incredible joy when there was a coffee delivery was felt by everyone working, plus the

biscuits were an amazing boost for us and added to the feeling that we were appreciated.

“At the time we didn’t know where the coffee came from as no fuss was made – they were just dropped off. Since then we have found out that the deliveries were provided by local businesses in Midsomer Norton.

“From everyone at the Somer Centre that enjoyed the coffee I say a massive thank you.”