Shopmobility making Wrexham more accessible with 4 new disability pushchairs, 12 new scooters, and improved opening times.
On Thursday, the 14th of December, the Mayor, Cllr Andy Williams joined Catriona Learmont, Reginal Funding Officer for Wrexham of the National Lottery Community Fund, and Alison Roberts Community Champion of the Tesco Community Grant to launch this new chapter in Shopmobility Wrexham’s life.
Shopmobility Wrexham have gained a total of 12 new mobility scooters to cater for a wider variety of needs. These will help people access the city center directly from the Bus Station, opening up Wrexham to more people. Shopmobility Wrexham are very grateful Anne, The Duchess of Westminster Fund for funding 4 road scooters, and 3 boot scooters, and to the National Lottery Community Fund for sponsoring 4 road scooters. Shopmobiity Wrexham are also grateful to the Tesco Community fund for funding a boot scooter. A boot scooter is one that can be broken down into pieces and will fit into a car boot. These scooters are available for hire for extended periods, perhaps to cover an injury or for a holiday.
Shopmoblity Wrexham have worked hard to secure funding to ensure that they are now open 5 days a week, Monday to Friday, 10:00 until 16:00. Shopmoblilty Wrexham is also open on weekend, and late into the evening during special events. They were recently open for Remembrance Sunday, for example. Shopmobilty Wrexham is currently being managed, funded and supported by AVOW, Wrexham’s County Voluntary Council. AVOW is an organization supported by Welsh Government to help support charities of all kinds with good governance, sustainable finance, volunteering, and engaging and influencing. AVOW is incredibly grateful to The Moondance Foundation for an incredibly generous grant in enabling the post of Accessibility Development Officer. The Moondance Foundation offers grants to organisations and causes that provide transformational changes in communities in Wales.
During his visit, the Mayor spent time talking to people who were using the Warm Space (available while Shopmobility Wrexham is open), as well as talking to funders about the importance of Shopmobility to City of Wrexham. Here he heard how life-changing the service was, enabling people who, without it, would be unable to access the city centre. This has enabled people to visit the city not just to shop, but to socialise with friends, to visit events as well as to attend courses and education. The Mayor also spoke to volunteers at Shopmobilty Wrexham, who shared with him the benefits that they had received from volunteering, such as an increased confidence and better mental health.
The Mayor also got to see the 4 new Excel Elise disability pushchairs. These pushchairs are designed to help older children and teens who struggle with mobility, sensory needs and other difficulties in accessing the busy streets of Wrexham. They can enable a family to visit the city and to enjoy what it has on offer. David McDonald, Accessibility Development Officer at AVOW said “We want Wrexham to be accessible to everyone, whatever their age.” David went on to say that they were very grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting them with these pushchairs.
Shopmobility Wrexham is an incredibly important part of making an accessible Wrexham. It has already increase access to the city centre by providing mobility aids such as scooters and pushchairs, but in the New Year it wants to do more. It aims to be open one Saturday a month to enable more people to get into the city. They plan to work in partnership with other charities, to help them improve their accessibility needs, and explore the ways in which they can work together in partnership to increase accessibility of all kinds, not just physical.
Shopmobility Wrexham is an incredibly vital service, one that changes lives.
This article is also published in : The Leader, Wrexham.com
More about the Excel Elise Pushchairs
A big thank you to our funders, without whom this would not have been possible.
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