Community Investment Fund case study – Shopmobility
We’ve all seen people on scooters whizzing about our towns and cities and Luton is no exception. Yet what people may not realise is how important these vehicles are in the lives of those who use them.
The manual wheelchairs and electric scooters in our town are provided by Luton Shopmobility. Its busy office is situated on the third floor of The Mall and from there users can access The Mall and the rest of the town centre.
The service is open to all residents of Luton as well as visitors to the town.
Over many years the service has received significant funding from our airport company, Luton Rising. The specialist scooters are expensive items, costing between £2,000 and £3,000 depending on size and durability.
Anyone familiar with Shopmobility’s work will soon realise that the charity meets more than physical needs. When a person’s capacity to walk is restricted, other aspects of life so many of us take for granted, can be severely affected too:
- shopping
- meeting friends and relatives
- getting out of the house and general independence
When we’re out and about in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it can be very easy to concentrate on the scooter, not the person who uses it.
A recent survey of Shopmobility members highlighted the very human impact on the lives of the people who use them:
- “It gives me back my confidence.”
- “I am now free to shop without pain.”
- “I make new friends.”
- “It gives me my independence back.”
This makes the service about more than mobility: it’s about:
- social interaction
- feeling human
- catching up with an old friend over a cup of coffee
- having the chance to go out buy that item of clothing for an important family event
And for many of its 400 members, Shopmobility is family. From the paid staff and nine volunteers, ready to greet newcomers to its office to the wider group of regular users, the mutual interest and concern is obvious.
Jayn Harris, Shopmobility’s manager said: “Our scooters are well used and subject to considerable wear and tear. We are tremendously grateful for the money we receive.
“At one level, when we spend money on equipment it looks as if it is being given for machinery, but the real beneficiaries are the people whose lives are made fuller and richer through Luton Risings generosity.”
The service is easy to use. Anyone wanting to use a scooter can go in to their office on the third floor of the Market car park in The Mall. To hire a vehicle costs £2 an hour to any member of the public. Shopmobility members, of which there are 400 in the town, pay a joining fee of £15 but then pay a reduced rate of £1 for each hour.
