Red Cross to close Horsham centre

Volunteers and staff currently based at the property in Rushams Road provide short term loans of mobility aids and other items to people, ‘helping to improve physical health, mental health and reduce the likelihood of people becoming isolated when they experience an injury or illness’, said the charity.

This week the Red Cross confirmed it is in the process of making changes and improvements to the way it provides mobility aids, ‘to help more people and make the service more accessible across the UK’.

The freehold of Trinity Hall in Horsham is now being advertised for sale by Crickmay Chartered Surveyors and offers are invited ‘in the order of £350,000’.

The agents say: “The property currently provides a mixture of open plan and cellular accommodation across a reception area, two offices, a main hall and a lock up garage together with further storage, a kitchen and male and female WCs. There is a forecourt to the front of the property which provides parking for approximately four cars. The property is considered suitable for residential conversion in addition to alternative uses (subject to obtaining planning consent).”

The Red Cross said this week: “We are expanding our mobility aids centre in nearby Crawley, which means the Horsham centre is no longer needed.

“In the future people will be able to collect mobility aids from Crawley or use a delivery service, which is also in development, to make it easier for people to get hold of items when they need them.”

Geoff Cheshire, head of operations for the mobility aids service, said: “The Red Cross aims to help people in crisis both in the UK and overseas.

“At the moment our mobility aids service helps over 100,000 people each year – but we know with improvements we could help more people. The changes will enable us to reach more areas of the UK and make the service more accessible.

“We would like to reassure members of the public that the Red Cross will still be providing mobility aids and other services, such as event first aid and support to people during emergencies, in Horsham.

“We realise that making changes to our buildings can be unsettling for people who use our services and the staff and volunteers who have been working there and meeting there for many years. Their work to provide help to people in crisis has been incredible, and we are trying to communicate this change as sensitively as possible. We thank them for everything they have done.”

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