Sport / coronavirus
Ashton Gate Stadium could be used as medical facility
Ashton Gate Stadium could be used by the NHS during the coronavirus crisis.
Stadium managing director Mark Kelly said that its facilities would be able to help increase treatment capacity in Bristol.
In London, the ExCel Centre has been transformed into the new Nightingale hospital to treat less serious Covid-19 patients.
is needed now More than ever
Kelly said that he has already offered the use of the stadium’s large conferencing facilities to the NHS.
“A bit like UWE, we’re a large space, we have the facilities and logistics,” Kelly told BBC Radio Bristol.
“If you look at our restaurant, it’s a 1,000-seater restaurant, so we could become a smaller hospital, or some sort of supply chain network.”
Ashton Gate Stadium managing director Mark Kelly has offered the stadium’s facilities to the NHS – photo by Martin Booth
“We’re just really to keen to help in some way,” Kelly added.
“We’ve already got the Feed the Homeless group who are using our sports bar as a delivery hub, and we’re talking with the Bristol Food Union, the chefs who are the most hard hit, who are trying to do something for the most vulnerable people in Bristol, to see if we can with them as well.
“So we just want to do something. We spend a lot of time talking about the impact we have on the community and bring a vibrant part of the community, and it’s times likes this we should all be really supportive and open our doors to whatever we can do to help.”
Main photo: Bristol Sport
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