Barry Masonic Hall used in coronavirus vaccine roll-out

Barry Masonic Hall has been utilised in the vaccination effort

THE Freemasons in Barry are proud to have potentially ‘saved lives’ by playing a role in the vaccine roll-out.

The Vale Group Practice – which is made up of Ravenscourt Surgery, Porthceri Surgery, St Brides Surgery, and Rhoose Surgery – has been using Barry’s Masonic Hall, free of charge, to help the roll-out of the vaccination.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Barry Masonic Hall Allen Oliver said: “The hall is sparse at the moment, but normally it’s a cosy, social space used by lots of people.

“We hope in the future to use this space for masonry and social functions but, with many of these on hold, our priority right now is vaccinating people.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve given The Vale Group Practice use of this space, free of charge. Jabs save lives, so hopefully we’ve saved lives. This is the community spirit of freemasonry at its best.”

Since January, the Vale Group Practice has offered the first dose of the vaccine to more than 5,000 patients; more than 1,000 of these were delivered at Barry Masonic Hall on Broad Street.

Barry Masonic Hall

The space being offered – which is licensed for events of up to 144 people – is an ideal setting as it is airy and spacious. A one-way system is in place, with sanitizer stations at the entrance, and a separate exit to ensure visitors can physically distance.

Mr Oliver added: “The use of the mason hall to the public is beneficial air and space wise, plus it has disabled access.”

A spokesperson for Vale Group Practice said: “We are pleased to announce that our Covid vaccination programme is going from strength to strength.

“The Masonic Hall provides a great venue for the vaccinations due to its size and location – patient feedback has been very positive.

“We are very grateful to the Freemasons for their help and support in using the venue.”

For more information about Vale Group Practice visit www.valegrouppractice.co.uk