Wheelchair users face unclear future as Red Cross site closes

Centre up for sale with nearest alternative service said to be 60 miles away

Wheelchair users say they will be left without a local service after a charity announced the closure of its Ashford base and put the land up for sale.

British Red Cross volunteers have been running mobility aid services from the site in Quantock Drive next door to Furley Hall, where users can rent wheelchairs on a temporary basis.

But now a sign from Harrisons estate agency in Maidstone has appeared on the property, advertising the hall, offices and car parking on the site for £200,000.

A note has been posted on the door to all service users warning them of the closure, while service users have reported that the nearest similar service is in Crawley, more than 60 miles away.

The note states: “Ashford mobility aids will be closing permanently. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause and thank you for all the support you have given to the service in the past.”

Retired bank worker Richard Gough, 77, from Charing, said the service had helped his wife when she needed a temporary wheelchair.

He said: “Volunteers have been providing mobility services there for years, but there will not be any local facility for people who need temporary help in future.

“I think the nearest place where the charity runs the service is in Crawley. I don’t know anybody else in the area who provides a temporary wheelchair for hire. When you went in there were a variety of sizes on offer

“I can’t understand how a charity like the Red Cross would be selling up the unit, given the service it provides to the public and that it is staffed by volunteers who give the charity a good name in the area.

“It seems to me that Red Cross is going to gain a small capital amount at the disadvantage of a lot of local people who would have used this service.”

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

The British Red Cross centre in Quantock Drive, Ashford, which has been valued at £200,000, and the note on its door warning customers of the service’s closure