Drag Race UK star Cherry Valentine supports Pride pop-up clinics

Cherry Valentine, star of the second season of Drag Race UK, has recorded a video message to encourage everyone who is eligible to get their COVID vaccinations at Darlington’s Pride Weekend to grab a jab at one of its pop-up clinics.

Cherry, (AKA George Ward), is a professional drag performer and qualified NHS mental health nurse from Darlington.

The video message encourages people to go along to one of the pop-up COVID vaccine clinics, supplied by NHS Northumberland CCG, that will be in Darlington town centre on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 5pm.

The starlet, aged 27, starts the recording by wishing everyone at the event a happy Pride Weekend, before urging those who can get either their first or second dose to do so.

In the video, Cherry says: “Getting the vaccine is one of the most important things you can do at the minute to keep our communities safe… if we want to get back to all this normality, the clubbing, the holidays, shopping – all this stuff – go and get your vaccine.”

First and second doses of both Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca will be available for anyone aged 18 or over, but it must have been at least 8 weeks since the first dose if attending a pop-up clinic for the second.

Phillipa Scrafton, Chair of the Darlington Pride Weekender volunteer group, said: “It’s really important that when we think about the LGBT+ community here in Darlington that we remember that we’re made up of so many different people and not everybody has taken the opportunity to have their vaccine.

“Many people are still a little concerned about coming out and enjoying what we hope will be a fantastic weekend – so if you can, why not use the opportunity at Pride Weekend to get your first and second vaccine. Let’s do all we can to protect our community.”

To watch the video, please view our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram channels.