THE future of Hereford City's Shopmobility, managed by Services for Independent Living (SIL) still remains uncertain but thanks to Cargill's generous sponsorship another scooter is secured for 2015.

Cargill offered the sponsorship after reading about the plight of the service in the Hereford Times. The company, which has had a presence in the city for many years, is well known for its support of local initiatives.

Jane Melton, Cargill charities coordinator, said: "We are delighted to support Services for Independent Living. We would like to thank SIL for providing this exceptional service, and we hope that, with our support, they can continue to help the people of Hereford thrive."

Hereford City Shopmobility, which provides mobility scooters and electric and manual wheelchairs, currently has over 900 registered local users and over 100 visitors have used the service since January.

Euan McPherson, chief executive of SIL, said: "Unfortunately Hereford City's Shopmobility service cannot continue on the hire charges alone. We are very grateful to Cargill and the other sponsors who have given money to support the service.

"We recently undertook a survey with service users and the responses given showed that almost 50% would no longer be able to visit the city should Shopmobility close. We are appealing for more businesses to follow Cargill's lead and sponsor a scooter."

If you would like to support this initiative contact SIL on 01568 616653, or email contactus@s4il.co.uk