Shopmobility is on the move

Outside Shopmobility’s new premises in Rochdale town centre are front (left-right) Councillor Allen Brett, Shopmobility Trustee and Councillor Ashley Dearnley, Shopmobility Chairperson. Back (left-right) are Scheme Assistant Michelle Davies; Councillor Janet Darnbrough, Shopmobility Trustee; Jonathan Hindle, Senior Project Manager at Rochdale Development Agency; Michelle Hollinrake, Shopmobility Manager and Debbie O’Brien, Shopmobility Treasurer

Shopmobility is currently based on the bus station concourse but, with the bus station closing later this year, they are heading off to a new home at 21 Baillie Street.

Shopmobility has been based in the town centre for 20 years providing wheelchairs and scooters as well as an escort service to help people who have limited mobility, shop in the town centre.

Michelle Hollinrake, the manager of Rochdale Shopmobility, said: “This move means it’s still really easy for people to get to us and for service users to access the town centre. We are really grateful to RDA for helping us secure the new premises as it means we can continue to provide the people of Rochdale with the service that they’ve benefited from since 1993.”

Planning permission was granted in April to build a new Shopmobility facility on River Street, next to the new Transport Interchange.

The charity has reached the second round of the Big Lottery’s “Reaching Communities” programme which is giving £130m across England to support projects that help people and communities most in need. A full bid is currently being prepared by the charity and if successful, construction will start on the site early next year.

John Hudson, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency, said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to find Shopmobility suitable premises close to where they used to be and we will be supporting them in their bid to build new purpose built premises on River Street.”