It's just over a month since our official re-opening, and we have been busy both in the shop and online.

We are now on Twitter - find us and follow us @SpaShopmobility. Thanks to Stephanie Kerr of BID Leamington for getting us started. 

We are also on Facebook where you can become a friend of Leamington Shopmobility

Our own website is: www.leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk 

Robin Brooks, our new manager, trained as a mechanic with the RAF, so who better to thoroughly check over every scooter and wheelchair. Just one scooter was in need of some new batteries, which are on order. All the rest are in sound condition and ready to roll, if not to fly!

Here's Robin:

and some of our scooters in the workshop getting a battery charge – we have 3-wheelers too

One of our wheelchairs getting a new inner tube:

As well as checking over the vehicles, Robin has completed the tidying and reorganisation of the shop. We have acquired some new furniture, including a table and some upright chairs for use by customers and visitors.

The new table in use for a meeting of some of our trustees:

If you are not yet a member of Leamington Spa Shopmobility and you think we might be able to help you to get around in Leamington, give us a call on 01926 470450, or drop in to see us on Level 4 of the Royal Priors car park, just above M&S. Please do use the door push buttons. We've found that manually pulling the doors open can damage the motors, so let the doors do the work! There is now a button on each side of the doors on the outside, thanks to the management of Royal Priors.

We look forward to many of our regular customers returning and new members joining as Spring tempts people into town.

To visit our main website, click here: http://www.leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk/

Leamington Spa Shopmobility is now open again 5 days a week, at Level 4 of the Royal Priors car park. Our new opening times are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. As well as providing mobility scooters and wheelchairs for loan, we sell a small range of walking aids. Robin Brooks, our new manager, brings many years of Shopmobility experience with him, and makes all visitors welcome.

If you would like book one of our scooters or wheelchairs, please phone us on 01926 470450 and leave a message. You can also email us at admin@leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk

Our official re-opening took place on Monday 3^rd March, with a short ceremony in the newly refurbished shop. Our patron, local Paralympic champion Nigel Murray, cut the ribbon and told us how Shopmobility had helped him – he was one of our first members. David Shilton, leader of Warwickshire County Council, gave a short speech in praise of the work of Shopmobility. We are also grateful for the attendance and support of councillors John Knight and Bill Gifford, and Royal Priors manager Gerry McManus.

 L to R: Andy Gotts (trustee), Mike Magness (trustee), Cllr David Greenwood (Trustee), Cllr Ann Morrison (Chair of the Board of Trustees), Cllr John Knight (Deputy Mayor Royal Leamington Spa Town Council), Cllr Sidney Syson (Trustee), Cllr David Shilton (Chairman of Warwickshire County Council), Mr Gerry McManus (Manager, Royal Priors Centre), Mr Nigel Murray (patron of the Trust), Mr Robin Brooks (Shopmobility Manager) and Cllr Bill Gifford (Warwickshire County, Warwick District and RLS Town Council).

We are still looking for more volunteers to help us run the scheme. In particular, we need people who can spare a couple of hours to cover the lunch period at the shop and assist new users. No selling is involved! If you would like more information, please contact us as above.

We are delighted to say that Leamington Spa Shopmobility will be re-opening on Monday 3^rd March. From now on, we will be open Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm each week.

The scheme will be officially re-opened by Nigel Murray MBE, the Paralymic athlete from Leamington Spa. The Mayor of Royal Leamington Spa, local councillors and members of the business community will also be taking part in the re-opening event, on Monday 3^rd March from 2:00pm to 3:00pm in the Royal Priors. Come along and meet us!

Our new shop manager, Robin Brooks, will be working with the Board of Trustees to create a welcoming environment for customers and provide a useful service. We hope that many volunteers will join us to help achieve this.

Our Shopmobility unit on the 4^th floor of the Royal Priors car park has been re-painted inside and out, courtesy of the management of Royal Priors. They have also installed a second opening button for the automatic doors, to make it easier and safer for customers to gain access. We are very grateful for their continued support.

This is what it now looks like. Even on a rather dark February evening, you can't miss it!

Return to main website http://www.leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk/

Leamington Spa Shopmobility scheme is now closed until 1^st March 2014, to allow us to renovate the premises and train new staff. We hope this will not inconvenience our members too much. You can still contact us by e.mailing admin@leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk or by leaving a message on our phone number, 01926 470450. Please note that phone messages will only be picked up once a week on Wednesdays during this period.

To view our website in a new window click here

Mark Fletcher, who was instrumental in setting up Leamington Spa Shopmobility with scheme trustee Bob Crowther, has been running the scheme since it started. Mark has decided that it is time for him to move on, and Christmas Eve was his last day as scheme manager. At the meeting of the scheme's trustees in December, Bob presented Mark with a token of our thanks for his long and dedicated service. Also present was Gareth Kerr, who until recently assisted Mark in running the scheme.

The trustees wish Mark and Gareth every success for the future, and intend to continue their good work when we re-open in March.

Leamington Spa Shopmobility scheme has a new Board of Trustees. We’d like to inform you of developments to the service and ask how you use the scheme, what you think of the service and how it could be improved.

We will be contacting some of our members in the coming week to complete a customer satisfaction survey to help us ensure the Shopmobility scheme in Leamington Spa meets your requirements. This may be by phone, personal caller, email or by post and we will be grateful for your assistance.

We aim to update our database to ensure the information we hold is current, relevant and we only communicate with those who are Shopmobility members or may require the service. We would appreciate if you would advise us of any changes to personal details or if you no longer wish to be contacted by Leamington Shopmobility.

You can do this by contacting us direct on 01926 470450, writing to us at the address on our main website http://www.leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk/ or e.mailing us at admin@leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk

If you have any queries or questions in relation to the service or require assistance in completing the customer survey please don’t hesitate to contact us as detailed above.

Mark Fletcher, our current scheme manager, will be leaving at the end of December to explore new opportunities. I’m sure Mark will be sadly missed by everyone and you’ll join us in sending him best wishes for a successful future

 

We plan to temporarily close the scheme in January and February of 2014 and take the opportunity to redecorate and make it a welcoming hub for customers of the Shopmobility service. We will reopen at the beginning of March with a new team and new scooters to add to our existing fleet.

We’ve already taken receipt of one new scooter kindly donated by The Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa – you may have seen a photo in a recent edition of the Leamington Courier.

In the picture above are Peter Barton, President of The Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa (seated on the new scooter) and behind him (L to R) Councillor David Greenwood, a Trustee of Leamington Shopmobility, Robert Nash (Clerk to Leamington Town Council and to the Trustees), George Dick, Fundraising Chairman of The Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa and Councillor Ann Morrisson, Chair of the Trustees of Leamington Shopmobility. Photo courtesy of the Leamington Courier.

If you’re interested in volunteering and helping out with the scheme please get in touch - we’re welcoming volunteers to join the team in a variety of roles and help increase the accessibility of the service. It’s a great opportunity to meet people, provide assistance and gain new skills. Please e.mail us for more information: admin@leamingtonshopmobility.org.uk

Leamington Shopmobility news will be appearing here shortly.

To visit the Leamington Shopmobility website, please click here