Volunteer with Ipswich Shopmobility

About Ipswich Shopmobility

Ipswich Shopmobility provides free hand-propelled and electric wheelchairs and electric scooters to help people who have limited mobility, whether through permanent or temporary disablement, illness, accident or age, to shop and use other facilities in Ipswich town centre.

The Shopmobility Centre is located inside the Buttermarket Shopping Centre, on the Lower Ground level. When arriving by car use the Falcon Street entrance to the Buttermarket Car Park.

Volunteer roles

There are two different volunteer roles at Ipswich Shopmobility:

Admin Role

Duties included in this role are:

Answering the telephone
Providing information on Shopmobility to new and potential members
Booking equipment (subject to equipment availability)
Greeting customers
Recording equipment issued on a computer spreadsheet
Joining new members and issuing membership cards and information
Informing the Markets and Shopmobility Manager of any damage to equipment, accidents, comments or complaints when they arise
Assisting other volunteers when needed

Scooter Role

Duties included in this role are:

Moving equipment from store rooms ready for use by customers;
Returning equipment and accessories to store rooms after use and placing equipment on charge correctly;
Removing and returning cones to the designated Ipswich Shopmobility car parking spaces
Assisting customers (if required) to transfer to equipment;
Showing new customers how to use the equipment and ensure they are competent with it;
Attending breakdowns in the town centre with replacement equipment and returning faulty equipment to the Centre;
Assisting other volunteers when needed

Both roles report directly to the Markets and Shopmobility Manager.

Qualities we seek

Commitment, reliability, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to help people are the qualities we are looking for. If you can spare a few hours a week on a regular basis we would like to hear from you.