Mayor re-opens vital lift for Plymouth residents
Westward support worker Alex Hender, resident Lyn Turner, Lord Mayor of Plymouth Mark Shayer, Temple Lifts Jim (l to r).
Residents of White Cross Court in Plymouth were delighted to welcome the Plymouth Lord Mayor, Cllr Mark Shayer, when he re-opened their newly refurbished lift.
Our older people’s scheme at Regent Street in Plymouth consists of flats across three storeys. Residents have been without a lift for some time following mounting repair issues, difficulty getting parts and a subsequent decision to have Temple Lifts fully refurbish the lift.
Caption: Lord Mayor of Plymouth Mark Shayer is pictured talking to residents Lyn Turner, Margaret Dieball, Ann Beale and Thelma Rankine (l to r).
A full lift refurbishment was brought forward from the usual programme. The landlord, Westward Housing, put in a bespoke stair lift for the residents before taking the lift out of service for the essential work to be done. The stair lift will be left in place for a year to see if it should be kept permanently as a secondary means of mobility between floors.
One of the 29 residents, Lyn Turner, suggested inviting the Lord Mayor of Plymouth to re-open the lift as half of the residents rely on it to help them between floors due to mobility needs, or other health issues such as asthma.
Lyn said, “I’m really happy that at long last, the lift is in working order and good to go. It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been waiting since at least October, we had to wait for parts. This is going to be so good, particularly with the seat in situ. There are many people here who are not disabled but who are poorly and will need to sit down when they come back in from outside and they’re breathless. It’s lovely! The guys who did it were fantastic, all praise to them. And long may it last!”
Lord Mayor, Councillor Mark Shayer, delighted the residents by joining them to cut the ribbon and enjoy cakes and a chat in the communal lounge. He said, “It’s clearly a vital facility for the Westward residents here and I can see why they need it. Not all residents have visible disabilities but still need this lift. I’m very pleased to have been invited along and only too happy to declare the lift open today.”
White Cross Court offers housing for rent, in independent flats, for those aged 55 plus. It is sited very close to Plymouth city centre and offers residents the opportunity to live independently but be part of a community if they choose to.