Stephen Morgan, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, has praised the work of the team and volunteers at Shopmobility after a recent visit
The city MP met with staff and volunteers at the popular charity based on Arundel Street in Portsmouth city centre recently. The charity operates a scheme to allow people to hire power scooters, power chairs, wheelchairs and holiday vehicles for the public with limited mobility.
The scheme helps with visits to shops and access to leisure facilities and attractions across Portsmouth. Users do not need to be registered as disabled or a Blue Badge holder, meaning the service is available to people with temporary mobility issues too.
Managed by just one member of staff and a team of volunteers, the service is always looking for new volunteers to help provide local people with access to our city. Reliable and dedicated volunteers are currently being sought to help with the day to day running of Shopmobility.
Commenting on his visit Stephen Morgan MP said:
“I was hugely impressed by the fantastic team at Portsmouth Shopmobility and the excellent service they are providing to people across our city.
Be it providing a power chair to nip round town, or a power scooter for longer trips across Portsmouth, the service helps people stay independent and tackles isolation.
I want to thank Nikki and the team for all they do to help people in Portsmouth”.
The MP had the opportunity to visit some of the city centre shops to experience what life is like with mobility issues and the benefits of a scooter.
Mr Morgan added:
“Visiting shops and negotiating pavements and kerbs with Daphne, a regular user of Shopmobility, was a real insight.
I learnt a lot about how the barriers of inconsiderate parking, uneven paving and the lack of drop kerbs can present challenges to people using mobility scooters.
I will be taking views heard back to feed into local debates and in Parliament so that action can be taken.
It is vital people continue to have access to this value service so that they have the freedom to get around independently”.
For more information about the work of Portsmouth Shopmobility call 023 9281 6973
