A Wadebridge charity is celebrating after raising £5,000 to build a mobility repair shop.
Concern Wadebridge at The John Betjeman Centre only launched the campaign in April and smashed the target at the end of August.
The charity based in Southern Way has run Shopmobility and Holidaymobility schemes for many years, hiring out items to locals and tourists at reduced rates.
It is now outgrown its current garages due to the demand of people also looking for repairs to their scooters, wheelchairs and rollators (walkers).
The money raised will pay for a brand-new wooden building, made of sturdy materials to make it vandal proof.
The money has been raised through generous donations from the public and local businesses, with anyone donating £50 or more getting their name put on the fundraising chart, quizzes, bingos, beetle drives and many more activities.
Concern Wadebridge manager Emma Burt said: “We have been overwhelmed with the response and can’t believe we raised the money so quickly.
“This mobility repair shop is really needed to support locals and people on holiday who find themselves in a pickle when their equipment breaks down.
“Our handyman Andy will fix the items for a donation which will be put back in the pot to buy spares and repairs needed.
“We also have a Wadebridge school student on placement who will be taught the skills — so it’s helping all ages in the community.
“As well as thanking all the people who donated, I must say a massive thank you to our volunteer Ian who has been fundamental in raising this money with his enthusiasm and very popular monthly paper quizzes amongst other fundraising activities — he also designed the wonderful target chart!”
The mobility repair shop is being built by Turps Wood Design and should be completed early November.
Concern Wadebridge is now launching a new campaign called “For Your Convenience’ to renovate the centre’s toilets.
Emma said: “Customers joke as I always talk about our lovely clean toilets, but they are in need of updating to make them more user friendly.
“We are hoping to give them a major facelift and setting a target to raise £5,000 towards the project and we will work hard behind the scenes to get grant funding for the rest!
“We’ll be looking to replace the toilets to have proper flush handles, sensor taps, more powerful hand driers to make it safer and easier for all abilities to use. The taps and the new flushes will help to reduce water waste meaning they will be more environmentally friendly too.”
To donate to the project, you can either pop into the centre, call 01208 812392 or donate through our PayPal following the link on our website www.concernwadebridge.org.uk/contact