Play Nightclub Hereford has transformed an old storage area into a specialist first aid room for its customers.
Play General Manager George Skeates arrived at the club in September 2021, replacing the previous boss Chris Green who moved to manage a venue in Hull.
George told Your Herefordshire: “When I arrived at the club I noticed there was a room full of storage that was being wasted, it was a decent sized area and I thought we could do something with it. I had the idea of creating a First Aid room so that if any of our customers need medical assistance, they can go into this room and recuperate.”
The room is also a place where customers can recharge their mobile phone. George added: “We’ve all at some point gone out and our battery has died, but it isn’t practical to bring a charger out so we have charging points to make sure phones can be powered up. It’s horrible not having a working phone, so we can help our customers if the issue arises.”
George continues by saying: “Previously if a customer needed medical attention, we had to treat them near the cloakroom area where the customer then would be seen by everyone else, but by having this room it maintains their dignity and we can get them treated quicker and easier.”
Play also has a designated first aider on site.
“I’m a firm believer that all nightclubs should have this, sometimes alcohol can affect us in different ways and if somebody has too much, we can sit them down on the sofa, give them some water and get them sorted. This time of year we see people who don’t regularly come out, and when you are in the party spirit you sometimes don’t realise how much you have had to drink and the effects can hit you later in the evening.”
Play is also part of the Ask Angela scheme. George finished by adding: “All our staff are trained in Just Ask Angela and we have protective drink covers available if anybody is worried about potential drink spiking.”
