WEST Devon residents with mobility issues can now get around Tavistock more easily, with the opening of a new scheme offering the use of mobility aids.
Following a successful trial over Christmas, Tavistock Area Support Services last week officially opened the permanent ShopMobility service to residents of the town and surrounding villages, and visitors to the area.
After two and a half years in the planning people can now hire mobility aids from the Anchorage Centre such as scooters and wheelchairs, to help them get access the town more easily.
The ShopMobility trial period over Christmas proved there was a need for such a scheme in the town, and £30,000 from Devon County Council and funding from a number of local organisations, including Tavistock Rotary Club, Devon County Cllr Debo Sellis' locality budget, the Percy Bilton, Amory Charitable Trust and South West Water's Pennon Group helped to get the project up and running.
The funding also enabled an extension to be built at the Anchorage Centre to store the mobility aids.
Andy Lyle, manager at TASS, said: 'We had support from West Devon Borough Council, the Lions Club, the Round Table, Tavistock Co-op group, the Pasty House, Tavistock Physically Challenged Group and Launceston Mobility Centre in helping to fund mobility scooters and wheelchairs, and Rotarian Tony Everett kindly volunteered to take on the co-ordination and setting up of the project. He has become an expert in ShopMobility and how the various scooters and wheelchairs work.
'As with all things TASS does, it is the community supporting the community, making our town and outlying villages a better place for us all to live — ShopMobility helps people to get out and about and allows them to do things that more able people take for granted.'
Cllr Sellis cut the ribbon officially to open the service.
Karen Rose, the county council community transport officer who has been influential in the project, said: 'I am delighted this has finally come to fruition. A lot of local people have put a lot of hard work into this. It was certainly time for Tavistock to have a ShopMobility service.'
Geri Parlby, president of Tavistock Rotary Club, chose TASS as Rotary's charity of the year to help with funding.
She said: 'I am pleased to have TASS as our charity for my presidential year. It offers an invaluable service for the community. This scheme is going to be enormously helpful, not only to bring people into the town but because the hospital is so inaccessible.'
For more information about Tavistock ShopMobility or to book equipment, visit the Anchorage Centre or contact 01822 616958