The under-threat Shopmobility service in Coatbridge and Motherwell has had a reprieve – but will be shut for five months while a review is carried out to establish its future and finances.
Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL) is working to “secure funding to continue the service in some form”, following last week’s closure of the scooter and wheelchair hire hubs operated by the Health and Wellness Hub charity in the two town centres.
It will now remain shut until April while VANL officials work to develop a new service by identifying a new provider and funding and to redistribute the existing equipment – with the organisation saying it “recognises the serious impact that withdrawal of this valued and vital service will have on current users”.
Service users were informed last week in a communication from the Health and Wellness Hub, which has operated the mobility assistance scheme for the past three years, of its transfer to VANL – following their earlier announcement that it would close after running at a loss of £5000 per month and being declared “no longer financially viable”.
VANL say they are “working hard to source alternative arrangements” for its future. and told Lanarkshire Live: “It is hoped that additional funding will be secured by March 2023 with the new service being launched in April; this will allow for new providers to be identified and for equipment to be redistributed as quickly as possible.
“We are fully committed to working with our colleagues in Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire and community and voluntary sector to find a solution in the medium term. Any new service will build on the existing holistic approach to support health and wellbeing, focusing on improving people’s access to services and reducing the isolation [of] not being able to engage with the community.”
Shopmobility had previously been run by North Lanarkshire Council organisation Town Centre Initiatives (TCI) and switched over to the charity in 2019, with VANL noting that when the local authority body “could no longer manage the service, TCI transferred £175,000 to the Health and Wellness Hub through [us] to deliver the service for 18 months.
“During Covid lockdowns, the Hub adapted the service to provide a range of support to service users; Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire community solutions programme, which is hosted by VANL, approved an additional investment to help develop a more holistic delivery model.
“Health and Wellness Hub were committed to sustaining the service but were unable to find sufficient funds to do so beyond October. With no prior notification of their intention to close the mobility hubs, VANL was not in a position to help [them] secure additional funding or find alternative arrangements for service delivery.”
VANL is arranging the temporary storage of both hubs’ supply of scooters and mobility equpment “until additional funding can be secured and a new service developed”; meaning that they will not now be offered for sale to service users as originally indicated.
Campaigners have welcomed news of work to preserve the “lifeline” service on the two high streets, but say they are still left in a difficult position and unable to access local shops and facilities during the five-month closure period
Officials from the Health and Wellness Hub wrote to users last week, ahead of Friday’s closure, to advise about the transfer to VANL and temporary closure, saying they had been “working hard to source alternative arrangements” for its future”.
They said in a statement: “Whilst we have been successful in retaining the service and the transfer of equipment, there does need to be a review carried out – this means VANL will put the service temporarily on hold [and] store all equipment.
“We appreciate how stressful this situation has been for everyone involved but we hope that a temporary hold is better than a complete closure.”
The charity added that with the hubs’ scooters and wheelchairs going into storage ahead of the anticipated resumption of the service, “no equipment will be offered for sale, and [it] will be unavailable for members to use until the review is fully completed”; while membership fees will be refunded to service users visiting either hub during the next month.
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