Buzz Bingo South Shields ready to welcome back customers as restrictions ease

Buzz Bingo is reopening branches across the country on May 17, including in South Shields

Dabbers at the ready – bingo is coming back to South Shields.

Buzz Bingo based in the Denmark Centre in South Shields, is set to open its doors for the first time in four months on Monday, May 17, in line with covid restrictions easing.

Teams have been putting safety measures in place, and bingo callers have been getting trained up ready for action.

To celebrate the big day, the national chain is offering a free tea or coffee and a sausage or bacon breakfast roll between 10 -11am in all its clubs on Monday.

Winston, 82, enjoys a tester game of bingo ahead of clubs re-open on May 17 following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Peter Brigden, chief retail officer at Buzz Bingo, stressed all precautions would be in place to keep customers safe as they return.

He said: “Customer safety is always our first and foremost priority. As the majority of our customers haven’t been able to properly visit some of our clubs for over a year, we want them to feel completely safe now that it’s possible for them to do so

“We’re delighted to celebrate their return with a free cuppa and a breakfast roll so they can reunite with friends and have a good chinwag before getting stuck into a game of bingo.”

Mr Bridgen said each of the company’s clubs reopening was following strict guidelines and had extensive health and safety measures in place including a maximum capacity, Perspex screens and floor markers to enable social distancing.

Coleen Nolan teaches bingo callers how to project their voices using singing techniques at Buzz Bingo, ahead of the clubs re-opening on May 17 following the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Fabio De Paola/PA Wire

The company said research showed four in 10 pensioners have not seen or socialised with friends face-to-face in more than 10 months, with almost three quarters (73%) of over-65s feeling much safer now people have had the vaccine, and 57% are excited to get back to their normal hobbies.

Mr Bridgen said bingo clubs were popular places for older people to meet friends and he hopes the Buzz Bingo reopenings will help improve people’s social lives after more than a year of the pandemic.

He said almost two-thirds (63%) of Buzz Bingo customers say they feel safe returning back to entertainment venues such as the bingo halls or cinemas, according to its research.

The company has invited some of its most loyal customers down to branched to celebrate reopening by offering them the chance to formally cut the ribbon on the club on May 17.

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