Shopmobility Highland going from strength to strength after 25 years of helping people
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
After 25 years of making a difference to the lives of people with limited mobility, Shopmobility Highland tell Federica Stefani their story...
*
IT all started in 1994, when an Inverness woman decided to set up a local initiative to provide mobility equipment in the area.
Gale Falconer, who suffers from MS, was told by a friend about a service to support people with mobility issues.
“I decided to set up a local Shopmobility branch after I tried their services in Falkirk and it was such a wonderful experience, being able to do what I wanted,” she said.
“There wasn’t a similar service in Inverness at the time and I consulted with the main branch and with local groups in Inverness to set up one.”
The charity provides electric scooters plus powered and manual wheelchairs for people of all ages.
It started with steering group being formed in February 1994 and only a few months later, the drive and passion showed by Ms Falconer and her supporters led to the opening of the first Highland branch of Shopmobility, starting from a Portakabin in the pedestrian area outside what is today Marks and Spencer.
Ms Falconer said: “The central branch had told us that it normally took around three years to have the project up and running. The interest here was so great that, in November of the same year, we could welcome our first service users.
“We were extremely lucky and received a lot of support from the community and local authority, which were very receptive and allowed us to gather enough funds and open our first premises.”
The charity has been going from strength to strength since then, opening offices in Dingwall in 1997 and with the new base being included in the planning phases at Eastgate in Inverness, where they operate now.
Twenty-five years later, the charity has become a vital asset for shoppers with mobility problems in the Highlands, with offices and minibuses operating in the area, as well as providing their services at big events such as the Black Isle Show and to tourists who visit the region’s hotels.
Shopmobility Highland manager Norman Macleod said: “The charity has definitely got busier in the last few years, and that’s thanks to the drive and the determination of Gale.
Today, we provide up to 4000 pieces of equipment locally each year, and this has a great impact on people’s lives.
“This also helps with tackling social isolation. From our service users, we get the common comments that our service is a vital lifeline for them and some have said that if it wasn’t for us, they’d now be in a care home.”
The positive effects are not only for service users, Mr Macleod added: “They are also potential consumers that stay longer in the city centre. If you get to the point where you get a minibus or hire mobility equipment you don’t go out for a quick shop visit, you will spend there a significant amount of time.”
Shopmobility Highland, which is funded through the NHS and the Highland Council – for the minibus service – as well as donations from individuals, has become a key service to many.
Brian Sanders (83), from Beauly, started using the service two years ago after he suffered damage to nerves in his leg.
He said: “I had already seen the office in Eastgate when passing by and after I had my problem I started using it, and I have to say this is a wonderful service.
“It’s very good and the people who run it are really nice. They make you feel very welcome. Whenever I go to do my shopping they always help me and my wife to bring our bags to the car.”
He said it has improved his life and it’s an important resource for the community.
For more information, visit www.shopmobilityhighland.co.uk or call 01463 717624.
* Click here to read more news.
