Steve Walsh, High Life Highland’s Chief Executive has come out angrily to quash various rumours that have emerged around the Highlands with misinformation about the Charity refusing access to its locations for use as vaccine centres.
The Chief Executive confirmed, “I can’t tell you how disappointing this nonsense is. From the very start of the pandemic, HLH has worked in close partnership with both NHS Highland and The Highland Council in order to support local communities across the Highlands.
“Having extensively allowed the use of our facilities as humanitarian assistance centres, HLH has, and continues to offer sites to colleagues in NHS Highland for use as vaccination centres. To date, this had included vaccine centres in Grantown, Aviemore, Kingussie and Beauly with other locations having been on standby but not used. There have been no charges made for the hire of these locations, although in discussions with NHS Highland, the charity has agreed to work on a basic cost recovery basis purely associated with HLH staff supporting the locations.
“Since the start of the pandemic, HLH teams have worked and volunteered tirelessly to support communities. It is therefore very disappointing to hear misinformation about HLH refusing to open locations or charging letting fees for the use of locations, which is wholly inaccurate.
Mr Walsh concluded, “I need to be clear that as ever, any of HLH’s facilities, anytime, anywhere will be made available to colleagues in NHS Highland to carry out this important work.”
Louise Bussell, NHS Highland’s Chief Officer for Community Services, said: “We are proud to be working with a number of partners delivering the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, including HighLife Highland, and we appreciate their support in letting venues across north Highland.”
