22 December 2021
AA Signs will again help to direct thousands of people to local vaccination centres after an agreement was reached between the AA president and the Transport Secretary.
After getting unsolicited requests from smaller vaccination centres to help with signing for the booster vaccination efforts the AA president, Edmund King, contacted Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, who thought it was a helpful offer to support with signs. Support has now been agreed with the Cabinet Office.
Earlier this year thousands of people were guided to their Covid-19 vaccinations as the AA provided nearly 2,000 free signs to community vaccination centres across the UK.
The first to be completed was a former RAF technical site in Bicester.
As well as numerous community centres, leisure facilities, racecourses, sports grounds and places of worship, signs have been provided to pop-up vaccination locations such as:
- A theatre in Dumbarton
- The club house at Stockley Park golf club
- Askham Bar park and ride in York
- Lydd Airport in Kent
Everyone at the AA has been eager to do what we can to help local communities through this time.
I’m pleased to announce our agreement with the AA who will support us with the booster vaccination effort in helping provide signs directing people to vaccination centres
The signs are manufactured from 100% recycled plastic. The end-to-end state-of-the art service includes production, distribution, fitting, and maintenance of the signs, as well as removal and recycling at the end of the vaccination programme.
Edmund King, AA president, said:
“The AA has been producing road signs to guide drivers for over 100 years, so we knew straight away that using this expertise was a unique way for us to offer further help in the national booster vaccination effort.
“Everyone at the AA has been eager to do what we can to help local communities through this time. Our patrols have been working hard throughout to continue helping drivers who break down, and now we are pleased to be guiding road users on two wheels or four with directions on route to these very important destinations.
“It’s clear that the signs are already helping people find their way to their local community vaccination centres and we’re proud to help sign the way to vaccinate Britain.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“I’m pleased to announce our agreement with the AA who will support us with the booster vaccination effort in helping provide signs directing people to vaccination centres.
“Their expertise will help people reach their centre, contributing to the already huge national effort underway to get more people vaccinated and to support the booster vaccination programme.”
Feedback has been received from across the UK:
South West London: “This is a really important part of the puzzle – thank you for the value you are adding”
West Sussex: “Thanks so much - great signs put up and hugely appreciated by the vaccination team. Please pass on our thanks to the signs team.”
East Midlands: “Many thanks, NHS contacts are very grateful for your assistance.”
Oxfordshire: “That is really great news. Please pass on our grateful thanks for the speed in which this has been carried out.”
Kent: “Really appreciate for your hard work on installing the signage. Our customers are finding it really easy to find us and are very much in awe of this effort.”
The AA produced the first road signs in the UK and AA signs remain a familiar sight for drivers across the UK.
Interested local authorities or local community centres can contact AA signs here : Submit a signs enquiry | AA (theaa.com)