New Shropshire Local Mobile service brings support closer to rural communities
Following the successful launch of Shropshire Local Ludlow, Shropshire Local is now adding a mobile service to rural communities across the county.
Shropshire Local Mobile, which launches this Friday (8 October 2021), will utilise some of the existing mobile library bus routes and will stop at locations across rural Shropshire.
Shropshire Local Mobile launching
The trial scheme plans to extend to more locations in the near future and follows the opening last month of the Shropshire Local Ludlow
The mobile service will provide access to more remote and rural parts of the county without libraries or similar facilities, where residents may otherwise struggle to connect to council services.
Both Shropshire Local Mobile and Shropshire Local Ludlow aim to make the council more accessible to people, and make it easier for those in rural communities to find out more about local support services and how best to access them.
Friendly and experienced team members will be on hand to provide a listening ear, advice and information to residents. Staff will talk to people about how people can access services from the council and other organisations, and can also offer advice on how to access these online.
The new service aims to help those in rural areas, where access to some services and support from the council can be more difficult for some people. Around 57% of Shropshire’s population live in villages, hamlets and homes dispersed throughout the countryside, in what is England’s second largest inland county.
Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, culture, leisure and tourism, and transport, said:-
“We know it’s so important for us to be as accessible as possible to our most rural communities. To respond to this challenge, we are trialling extending our Shropshire Local service by having Shropshire Local advisers on some of our mobile library vans to offer advice and information to those living in rural areas.
“Shropshire Local Mobile will be visiting several rural locations each week, helping to put the council back into these communities and helping us engage with more people, making it easier for them to find out about services ours and its partners services, and help them access these.
“As we develop Shropshire Local, we will look to include more locations and consider how we can help the service to reach into more communities across the county.
“This trial will allow us to test the benefits and uptake of this approach, and how we could develop it further.”
To find out more about the Shropshire Local Mobile visit
