The future of an important scheme in Yate Shopping Centre now looks brighter, after the shopping centre itself made a donation.

Shopmobility is a scheme that provides a number of things, including: mobility scooter and wheelchair hire, allowing people independence to shop by themselves and also leases out its fleet of 16 scooters on a long-term basis.

It has been running in Yate Shopping Centre for around 13 years and now they will look to the future again after a helping hand from the shopping centre team.

The donation of £5,000 by the centre means that the Shopmobility facility in the shops is secured for the next 12 months.

Andy Lowrey, Yate Shopping Centre Manager said: “The Shopmobility unit in West Walk offers a vital service to those who don’t already own a mobility scooter and enables them to take full advantage of the wide range of shops and services on offer in the Centre.

“Importantly, the shopping centre is all on one level but Shopmobility allows those that require the service total freedom of access throughout both the main Centre and the adjoining Riverside leisure facilities including the Cineworld cinema.

"Supporting charities such as this is an important part of our community work and I am pleased that we are able to help them through the year."

Sheridan Crew, Project Manager at Shopmobility South Gloucestershire, said:”We are extremely grateful to the Shopping Centre for stepping in to help us through 2019 thus strengthening the good working relationship between both parties.

“Several people use our service to gain confidence in using a mobility scooter before they later decide to buy their own.

"Also many people who use a mobility scooter within the shopping centre are previous users of our service which gives better flexibility to access shops and services and are not dependant on our opening hours."