Gala Tent Covers Nightingale Hospital

South Yorkshire based Gala Tent has won the contract to supply thirty six large commercial emergency tents to be used as drive-through test stations at the recently opened Nightingale Hospital at the NEC exhibition complex in Birmingham, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.

The tents are being used on entry to the emergency hospital to provide preliminary testing to those admitted and will form a vital part of the operation which is being installed by global construction giant Interserve.
Gala Tent Managing Director Jason Mace said, “It’s no secret that Covid-19 is hitting the personal and professional lives of every person in Britain and the wider world, so there’s little pleasure in knowing what the tents will be used for, as we all wish it wasn’t necessary at all, but there’s huge pride in knowing that Gala Tent has contributed in such a significant way to fighting this horrible virus.”

The NEC Nightingale is the second such hospital to be built in the UK to help the NHS cope with a massive increase in Covid-19 related cases with the peak still yet to come, but it is the first to use Gala Tents in this way. It is the biggest such project that Gala Tent has been involved in during the pandemic, but just the latest of many that the company has supplied to, following Farnham Hospital’s own testing station being launched last week.

Business Development Manager Ryan Bracha said this, “It’s definitely bittersweet, but I’m really proud of the guys who went out of their way at the last minute to get in and get everything ready for dispatch. I was in Birmingham personally dropping off some other essential items that were needed at short notice, so I’ve seen what’s going on in the grounds of the NEC, and the scale of the thing is immense. Interserve crews are working 24/7 to get it finished so more lives can be saved.”

The overall site includes testing zones, an initial 500 emergency hospital beds, potentially raising to 5000 if necessary, and a mortuary. It is intended that the site will accept patients when local hospitals reach capacity, ensuring that treatment is delivered in the best place possible at all times.

Interserve Project Manager Paul Cunnington said, “We’ve all pushed hard to get everything finished as soon as possible so that the hospital could begin to accept patients and lives could be saved, which is by far the most important thing. The speed that we were able to get the Gala Tents up has been a great help to this effort, and the quality of the tents is perfect. We got them up in a matter of hours, which was important as we didn’t have the luxury of a few days to erect a larger structure. Thanks to Gala Tent for delivering on their promises at every step of the process.”

Ordinarily Gala Tent are a manufacturer and supplier of temporary structures to the event industry, Gala Tent has seen a big increase in orders for tents being used for emergency purposes, with many medical trusts around the UK creating their own safe testing spaces on site.

Jason Mace CEO of Gala Tent said “With millions of Britons following government requests to stay at home, there has also been an increase in orders for marquees and gazebos to help extend their homes temporarily, providing much needed extra space for activities or an office. As gyms are now closed, we have also released an online video of how to turn your Gala Tent into to a CrossFit workout studio which can be viewed at www.galatent.tv”

Mark Thompson also added, “I am in agreement with Jason that If the government does shut the door on business then all staff will be paid in full until this pandemic is over.”

Founded in 1999, Gala Tent has grown to sell over 15,000 tents and marquees each year, along with around 90,000 event accessories and furniture products in the UK.

In the UK, Gala Tent is a preferred supplier for organisations including the military, NHS, the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, South Yorkshire Police Service, St John’s Ambulance and AA, as well as to thousands of homeworkers nationally.

For more details, contact Gala Tent on 01709 913990 or visit the website www.galatent.co.uk.