Donations to Shopmobility customers as service ends

Free mobility equipment including scooters and wheelchairs are to be given to Shopmobility customers and veterans in Wolverhampton ahead of the city shop unit closing.

The service, which rents a range of equipment, has seen a significant drop in users since the pandemic, with an average of just 13 customers a week over the past few years, the city council said.

The closure - a £29,000 saving - was announced last year as part of a major review of council services as the authority looked to save more than £30m.

The service will stop over a three-month period, starting from this week, the council added.

The service operated between 09:30 and 14:30 BST with customers only permitted to use motorised equipment within the city centre ring road.

Now customers can be given equipment, they have more choice about the times they visit the city and the locations they can travel to, the local authority said.

The equipment to be donated includes, motorised scooters and wheelchairs as well as manual wheelchairs with items also being offered to military veterans via local charity the Staffordshire Regiment Association.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, said the decision to end the service was not taken lightly.

"With increasing pressures on council budgets, we have to be realistic and unfortunately the service has not been well-used for a number of years," he said.

"This is despite our efforts to promote it via a number of methods including direct contact with users and advertising to care homes and supported living organisations.

"Our other option was to significantly increase our fees and charges, but this would have a real impact on customers and be likely to further reduce the already low number of users."

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