Major concerns as North Lanarkshire shopmobility hubs set to close

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The “lifeline” shopmobility service in two North Lanarkshire towns is to close later this month due to a funding shortfall.Officials from the Health and Wellness Hub charity announced this week that their mobility hubs in Coatbridge and Motherwell, which loan scooters and wheelchairs for disabled people visiting and completing errands around the two town centres, will shut on October 28.Devastated service users have launched a campaign to save the “vital” service, saying its loss will be “a disaster” which will rob them of their independence; while both local MSPs are also lending their support as they seek alternative funding or assistance to preserve the service.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Shopmobility members began receiving letters this week explaining that the service will close in three weeks’ time, with the Health and Wellness Hub saying that it is “no longer financially viable”; and its three staff members have been served with redundancy notices.The service across the two bases, at Exchange Place in Coatbridge and Merry Street in Motherwell, costs around £64,000 per year and has been operating since April at a loss of £5000 a month.Officials from the charity – which has run the service since 2019, taking it over from previous operator North Lanarkshire Council – say the cost is