Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council have made the decision to use Bedworth Civic Hall as a vaccination centre until March 2023. The Civic Hall is the heart of the borough and this extension is nonsensical since the current vaccine capacity could easily be covered in a building a quarter of the size. 

The Closure of the Civic Hall as a venue affects more than those who see the show. Not only is it a valuable income stream itself, having hosted many big names in the past, the borough also sees increased footfall in local pubs and shops from those who visit to participate. The annual Brass Weekend that is hosted here is a prime example. It offers the borough so much more in terms of top flight comedy, music, festivals, competitions, pantomime, education and a child's first experience of theatre. During the lockdown the importance of the arts for the benefit of morale and mental health has been highlighted like never before. 

The Civic Hall has proudly served our community during the pandemic as a food hub, testing centre and vaccine centre. Now that the vaccine requirements have lessened, and the venue is now operated on a vastly reduced timetable; there is no such justification for a venue this size when we have much smaller empty venues in Bedworth town centre. 

According to Government statistics 85% of the borough have had their first dose, 80% have had their second dose and almost 60% have had all three doses. Given the wealth of places available to receive a vaccine, it is clear that such a large venue is not needed to complete the vaccination programme. The Civic Hall is currently running at 25% capacity. 

While we appreciate that the NHS probably doesn't want the inconvenience of having to move to another venue, the continued closure of the Civic Hall is more than just an inconvenience to residents of the borough, it is is culturally and socially damaging.