The Mayor of Mansfield has thanked everyone involved in bringing a large-scale Covid-19 vaccination centre to Mansfield.

Andy Abrahams met NHS staff, volunteers and members of the public who were receiving vaccinations at the former Wickes store on Chesterfield Road South.

The mayor said Mansfield District Council had been working with colleagues across the local health and care system to prepare for the opening of the site, which will support the roll-out of the national vaccination programme.

He said: “This is a wonderful moment for Mansfield and the wider area as we welcome this large-scale vaccination site to our district. This will play a vital role in the biggest immunisation programme in NHS history.

“I’m very proud of everyone who has worked so hard to get to this stage – from the tradespeople who have prepared the venue, to the cleaners, volunteers and many more who are providing support. We will continue working with our partners to support this historic operation.”

People aged 75 and over who live within a 45-minute drive of the centre are being invited to book their vaccination.

Among the first to receive their vaccinations were Geoff and Jeny Holland, of Town View, Mansfield.

Geoff (90) and Jenny (86) met and fell in love while living at Town View, Mansfield District Council’s independent living scheme for the over-55s.

Jenny said: “We are so pleased to receive our vaccinations. Everything went really smoothly at our appointment and we barely felt a thing. The staff are all so lovely and really look after you. I’d encourage anyone who gets offered a jab to get it.”

The couple were due to be married on Jenny’s birthday in April 2020 but their special day had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mrs Holland, who became engaged to Geoff on New Year’s Eve 2019, said: “We had a fight on our hands to get married. We eventually went ahead on the only available date – 22 August – with just two witnesses.

“We’re really excited to have had our first dose – hopefully one day soon we’ll be able to have a get together and celebrate with our family and friends who couldn’t be there on the day.”

After their ceremony, the couple went out for a meal with four guests but were unable to have the music and dancing that they had planned, or share a wedding cake with the other residents of Town View.

Throughout the pandemic, Geoff’s daughter, Kathryn Turner, and her husband, Roger, of Mansfield Woodhouse, have only seen the couple very briefly when they drop shopping off at the main door.

Kathryn said: “We have missed them so much. They are so in love and such lovely people. It’s fantastic that they have had the vaccine so their love story can continue.

“They are so independent and do everything together. Hopefully this will help us all get back to some sort of normality.”

Kathryn said that her father’s life had changed completely as a result of meeting Jenny in the summer of 2019.

She said: “He needed either a walking frame or a mobility scooter but meeting Jenny has taken years off him – he looks 20 years younger. He only uses a walking stick now but sometimes he even forgets about it because he’s so busy holding her hand!”

The Mansfield Vaccination Centre joins 31 other new sites opening across the country this week as the vaccination drive continues to accelerate. If people cannot or do not want to travel to a vaccination centre they can be vaccinated at a local site or hospital hub. There are currently 11 sites across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The mayor added: “Although the rollout of the vaccine is exciting and we hope it will prove to be an important milestone in the fight against COVID-19, I would urge people who are under 75 to be patient and wait until they are contacted.

“The NHS will be in touch when it’s your turn so please don’t turn up at this or any other vaccination centre and don’t ring your GP or local hospital.

“I’d encourage everyone who receives an invitation to take up the offer, book a slot and attend that appointment. This will protect you from COVID-19 and hopefully help us all return to the people we love and the things we miss as quickly as possible.”

It’s important that all residents continue to follow the national lockdown guidance and remember to wash our hands, wear a face mask and socially distance.

Booking lines for Covid-19 vaccine appointments are now open to both over-80s and over-75s across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. People in these age groups, can now book appointments online at https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/nottinghamc19vpatient.php or by calling 0115 883 4640.

To find out more about the vaccination programme in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, visit https://nottsccg.nhs.uk/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-in-nottingham-and-nottinghamshire/.