Honda dealership joins COVID-19 fight by becoming a vaccine centre
A Honda dealership in Crewe reaches out to the local community by voluntarily transforming its premises as a vaccine centre for COVID-19
USUALLY people are walking out of Crewe Honda Centre with a smile, courtesy of a motorcycle or scooter they’ve just bought from Roger Morris at the family run dealership. But for now they’ll be walking out with a sore arm - hopefully still smiling.
The dealership has been converted for use in the midst of renovations, and - after going 'live' on January 23 - is now ready for up to 1200 vaccinations a week after being approved by NHS England & the local commissioning group.
The dealership has been in the Morris family 100 years, starting out as a BSA cycles dealer before later turning its expertise to the Honda franchise. It makes them the longest established motorcycle dealer in the northwest, first opening its doors in 1920, and have been with Honda since 1962.
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Family-run UK Honda dealer temporarily becomes NHS vaccine dealer site
The showroom was first suggested for use as a vaccine centre by his friend Raj Patel, a local pharmacist, who suggested using the space for the community. Raj Patel’s son, Jainil, will be the clinical lead for the vaccination centre, and Mr. Morris was quoted saying by the BBC "We've had to do an awful lot of work to get it where we needed”, and that it had been "a race to clear the building and get it ready for the opening.”
To make this story even more heartwarming, Mr. Morris has refused to take any rental payment for use of the showroom as a vaccine centre, as he sees it as a “small gesture” to "help the local community in the fight against the current pandemic.”
Keeping things in the family, wife Julie has been doing a lot of the legwork, with Roger saying: “My wife Julie is absolutely exhausted, she’s never stopped.”
Honda is regularly at the top of sales charts in the UK for motorcycle and scooter sales, and whilst the coronavirus pandemic continues, sales for most manufacturers unfortunately did show signs of slowing down in 2020.
The Crewe Honda Centre usually stocks around 100 motorcycles and scooters, but for now Mr. Morris is "more than happy to donate the building for as long as it takes.”
