Sadness As Shopmobility Shuts Down

It is the end of an era as a Market Harborough charity closes its doors for the final time today.

Shopmobility has helped thousands of people to stay mobile for over 25 years, by providing mobility scooters and other mobility aids for hire.

The charity has been forced to shut down after being given notice to leave Roman Way Community Centre by Leicestershire County Council and being unable to find alternative premises.

A spokesperson for Shopmobility Market Harborough told HFM: “The charity, and indeed the people of Harborough, have been badly let down by both Leicestershire County Council and Harborough District Council, both of whom say they have offered help, but unfortunately in each case it was neither suitable nor affordable.

“We would like to thank the people of Harborough for their support of the charity since it first began in 1999, and we are proud to have helped thousands of people to remain mobile and independent in that time.

“We are marking our last day at Roman Way Community Centre with a cup of tea and cake with our fellow remaining tenants, HFT.”

The closure of Shopmobility will leave a void for people who rely on it, with some saying they will struggle to maintain their independence.

Jenny Garland has been using the charity’s scooters for the past eight years because of her disability.

She told HFM the loss of the service will be felt across the community:

Leicestershire County Council is selling Roman Way Community Centre and rejected a bid to buy it from the Market Harborough and Bowdens Charity, which if successful would have allowed Shopmobility to continue to operate from the venue.

Amanda Ball has been the Shopmobility scheme co-ordinator for nine years and is being made redundant because of the closure.

She told HFM they did all they could to find a suitable new home:

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has paid tribute to the charity’s work over the years and told HFM he is disappointed more was not done to ensure its survival:

 

Both Leicestershire County Council and Harborough District Council say they provided support to identify a number of possible alternative locations for the charity.