The Red Lion pub in Overton is making a mobility scooter available to a village resident with mobility issues.
Punters at the pub raised funds last year to acquire a mobility scooter for regular customer Richard McNeil.
Sadly, Richard passed away of cancer earlier this year and after his scooter was returned by his family, the pub is now offering it to someone else with a genuine mobility need.
“We want the scooter to go to someone who really needs to get around”, says publicans David and Victoria Harber. “We have named the vehicle the ‘McNeil Mobile’ in honour of Richard, and really want to find someone else who will benefit from it.”
In June last year, it took pub regulars less than 48 hours to raise the funds needed to buy the ‘Shoprider’ scooter which was supplied by DF Mobility. The presentation to the late Mr McNeil was made on the day it was announced The Red Lion had won the Basingstoke Gazette’s Pub of the Year award.
“We have offered the scooter to our customers and their immediate family, but it seems everyone here is too healthy”, quips David. “It’s only right that we extend the offer to someone else in the village who will get a real benefit from getting around the village”.
Before he passed, Mr McNeil – a former HGV driver – informed pub-goers that the vehicle gets over 4mph and “gets up Red Lion Lane ‘at a struggle’, but can do it”.
The only stipulations are that the new recipient must live in the Overton, Freefolk and Ashe area, have a genuine need and will return the vehicle if it is no longer required.
Anyone who will benefit is asked to get in contact with the pub by calling 01256 212053.
