Charity completes equipment centre makeover to enhance shoppers’ experience
Hertfordshire Action on Disability (HAD) has recently finished what it describes as a speedy spring-clean and re-fit at its equipment centre, creating an improved shopping experience for customers.
Operating out of HAD’s premises at the Woodside Centre, Welwyn Garden City, the charity says the equipment centre refurbishment is the first step in an ongoing project to update and improve its facilities.
Carried out by local builders Jem Property Solutions, work started at HAD’s Woodside Centre premises at the end of April and was completed two weeks later.
The centre stocks an extensive range of mobility equipment, including walking sticks, mobility scooters, wheelchairs, rise & recline chairs, kitchen and household items, bathing products and more.
Mike Thompson, the HAD Trustee who managed the project, commented: “By investing funds very kindly raised by the RO Group in Potters Bar, the centre can now provide a better shopping experience for our customers. There’s more space to browse and by creating another cash desk we have accelerated the payment process too.”
As a result of the refurbishment, HAD explained that extra space had been created by replacing the unused multi-sensory room with an area for popular beds and seating clinics, allowing consultations and assessments to be carried out in a more private environment.
Additionally, extra shelving was installed to better display product ranges such as footwear.
Officially opening the refreshed centre, Nigel Dotchin, HAD Chair, said: “The result of all this work is not just good news for our customers, it’s great for our staff. Centre manager Cherie West and her team have been working in cramped conditions for a long time, so they will benefit too.”
Established in 1958 by the then Welfare Department of the County Council to supply equipment to disabled people, HAD has continued to grow over the last 60 years, helping enable older and disabled people to lead an independent life.
As well as its equipment centre, the charity also provides a 24-hour accessible transport service and a driving centre providing assessments, lessons, information and advice.