A fleet of mobility scooters used to help people get the most out of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is set to be redistributed across the capital, the Deputy Mayor of London, Victoria Borwick, announced today.
As part of Mayor Boris Johnson’s commitment to delivering a lasting accessibility legacy from the Games, a total of 76 mobility scooters have been earmarked to enhance existing Shopmobility schemes or to help charities and other organisations to set up new ones.
The news follows on from the success of the 2012 Games Mobility Scheme, which provided assistance to people who were less able to get around in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park last summer. The scooters, which have been fully reconditioned, will be used to help people that are less mobile to get out and use shops and other facilities in their local area more easily.
The initiative ties in closely with the Mayor’s priorities of making London a more accessible place and ensuring that the capital’s high streets and shops are used by as many people as possible to support jobs and economic growth.
Deputy Mayor of London, Victoria Borwick, said: “The Mayor recognised that many mobility services in London have been underfunded for a long time and he saw this as a great opportunity to do something to address that. These scooters made a huge difference to people last summer and it’s great news that they will now assist Londoners across the capital to get around more easily. Helping more people to get out and about so they can shop more easily will also give a boost to local businesses and high streets too. This project really is a great example of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy in action.”
In an added boost for the scheme, its operator, Concord Mobility, has agreed to donate an additional manual wheelchair to each organisation that successfully bid for mobility equipment.
Philip Rawlinson, director, Concord Mobility Limited, said: “We are delighted to be asked to assist with this Mayoral legacy project, especially after being involved with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Park Mobility Scheme. We have been involved with the supply of mobility equipment for 27 years, and know how this important project will benefit end users.”
Notes to editors
For pictures of the launch of the scheme please email [email protected]
The 2012 Games Mobility Scheme in the Olympic Park, which provided mobility scooters to disabled, elderly, and more frail people, was a huge success. Recognising that Shopmobility services in London have been underfunded for many years, the Mayor saw an opportunity to lever change, and improve service provision. The move ties in with his aim to make London a more accessible place, an aim which has seen London’s transport system become one of the most accessible in the world.
The GLA purchased 76 of these reconditioned scooters from the company that originally supplied mobility equipment to the 2012 Games Mobility Scheme in the Olympic Park. The vehicles will be distributed to mobility schemes in operation across London that successfully applied to receive mobility equipment.
This legacy project will enhance existing Shopmobility schemes across London, and stimulate the development of new Shopmobility schemes, where they are lacking. Some existing Shopmobility schemes are using equipment that is 15 to 20 years old.
This project will assist people with a range of mobility impairments, including frail older people, who will be able to access shops in areas where they are currently unable to so.
The organisations that successfully bid for mobility equipment are:
Location Name of organisation
Bexley Bexley Accessible Transport Scheme - 5 Camden African Physical Training Organisation - 5 Camden Passenger and Accessible Transport Services - 5 Ealing Ealing Shopmobility Scheme - 5 Harrow Harrow Shopmobility Scheme - 6 Harrow Age UK Harrow - 2 Havering Havering Shopmobility Scheme - 4 Hillingdon Hillingdon Shopmobility Scheme - 2 Hounslow Hounslow Shopmobility Scheme - 2 Kensington & Chelsea Out & About Scooters/Westway CT - 5 Kingston Kingston Shopmobility Scheme - 3 Lewisham Lewisham Shopmobility Scheme - 2 Merton Merton Community Transport – Scootability Project - 6 Newham SUBCO Trust - 2 Newham Newham African Caribbean Resource Centre - 6 Redbridge Ilford Shopmobility Scheme - 5 Sutton Sutton Shopmobility Scheme - 5 Wandsworth Wandsworth Shopmobility Scheme – 6