Invaluable Littlehampton Shopmobility volunteers thanked at meeting

However, before this I did have time for a couple of engagements, the first being on Monday evening.

I had been contacted by fellow town councillor Tony Squires, for whom I have a lot of time, asking if I would come and meet with the members of Scout Active Support and give a little talk, and of course I was more than willing.

As you know I have somewhat of a soft spot for Mewsbrook Park, and this was the subject they had asked me to talk about.

I have to say I have been to a lot of talks and what makes a good talk is a sound knowledge about the subject matter, and while I am learning more every day about the park, my knowledge is not yet as good as some, and so I took to asking Arun Talks for a little assistance as I have attended one of their talks on the history of Mewsbrook Park in the past.

When I arrived I saw some familiar faces from various Scouting functions I’ve attended and some I had yet to meet and was made very welcome by all. My short talk about the park went down well and thanks to Arun Talks emailing some historic pictures across, I was also able to share these with those present to bring the subject more to life.

|Also in the news - a Littlehampton mum has called on dog owners to show some respect after counting 27 piles of dog mess; a man who lost all his belongings in a suspected arson in Rustington said his memories have been taken from him; and a student from Littlehampton got the chance to speak to Harry and Meghan on their official Sussex visit|

Following this I stayed for the rest of the meeting to find out more about the group and what it does, The group is made up of former and existing Scouts and Scout leaders so that they can continue their interest in the organisation and maintain the friendships they have made over the years, as well as assisting with fundraising and support for local Scouting activities.

This small but dedicated group is always looking for new people to come on board and help, so perhaps if you are reading this and have a Scouting interest and want to help or get involved then feel free to get in touch with me and I’ll point you in the right direction.

My second engagement saw me attending the annual general meeting of Shopmobility, the group which runs its scooter hire scheme and advice and supply of disability aids from its shop at the Bradbury Centre in St Martins Lane.

This organisation runs an invaluable service to its local members and visitors to the town.

The annual reports from the chairman of the trustees and the centre manager, June Caffyn, were read out before the usual business of the presentation of accounts and thanks to its volunteers.

Also highlighted was the work and support that the Littlehampton branch has contributed towards the national scheme and the recognition it has received via the national Tom Hillier awards, in particular recognising trustee Alan Gammon’s work towards the national scooter registration scheme.

It was a pleasure to meet with the team and volunteers along with one of the founder instigators of Littlehampton Shopmobility, Rosemary Orpin.

I know from personal experience what an invaluable job they do within the town and wish them every success in the forthcoming year.

Shopmobility is offering a special taster session for the winter for new members, two hours free scooter hire for the months of November and December, and further details of this and membership can be found by visiting the Littlehampton shop in St Martins Lane.

---

• Benefit from an ongoing discount on your Littlehampton Gazette by joining our voucher membership scheme. Once you’ve subscribed we’ll send you dated vouchers which can be exchanged for your paper at any news outlet. To save money on your Littlehampton Gazette simply click here.