KENDAL’S Shopmobility scheme could be axed, potentially leaving ‘hundreds’ of disabled people ‘prisoners in their own homes’.

The charity says it has only enough cash to last until September after South Lakeland District Council turned down a request for a £15,000 grant.

Instead, the authority offered the scheme £3,600.

This level of support is unlikely to repair Kendal’s reputation as ‘the most disabled unfriendly town in Britain’ - a claim made after SLDC voted to scrap free and concessionary parking for blue badge holders.

Shopmobility manager Pam Flitcroft said of the funding blow: “I am absolutely devastated.

"If we close, hundreds of disabled people won’t be able to get round town to do their shopping and could very well end up trapped in their homes.”

For the past two years, Kendal Shopmobility - which owns 30 mobility scooters - has been subsidised by a £12,000 fee which SLDC paid to the charity to administer concessionary parking for blue badge holders.

But the subsidy was scrapped on Monday as part of the authority’s austerity drive, forcing disabled drivers to pay the same rates as other motorists.

This means SLDC no longer has to pay Shopmobility for its involvement.

However, the council’s community fund committee has recommended a grant of £3,600 - the same amount awarded to Kendal Shopmobility in previous years.

The charity’s management committee has now issued formal redundancy letters to Mrs Flitcroft and her part-time assistant Emma Hine, although no notice of redundancy has yet been given.

“We have only enough cash in the bank to last us until the end of September,” said Mrs Flitcroft, who has worked for Kendal Shopmobility for 13 years.

“If we can’t find any other sources of funding we will be forced to close.”

The scheme, which runs 30 mobility scooters, needs £36,000 a year to survive.

Around £21,000 comes from membership fees - currently £30 a year for an individual and £44 for a couple - and fundraising activities.

More than 3,000 scooter-trips are undertaken by Shopmobility members and visitors to Kendal every year, making it one of the best used schemes for a town of its size.

Regular user Mary Edwards, 83, of Longlands View, Kendal, said: “I can’t walk far because I suffer from osteo-arthritis and asthma.

"I’m independent and will try to get round the problem if Shopmobility clsoes, but there are many others who won’t be able to.

"They’ll end up trapped in their own homes.”

Sonia Mangan, director of Age UK South Lakeland, said: “The current spending cuts are affecting those people who are vulnterable in our society and this is just another example of that.

"What I hope is that we can work with the community, local council and Shopmobility to minimise the impact for older people.

“We must not forget there is also an impact on Kendal’s economy if older people and the disabled can’t get into town to do their shopping.”

Michael Keane, SLDC's assistant director for social enterprise, said: “For 2011 and 2012, South Lakeland District Council has awarded Kendal Shopmobility a community grant comparable to that provided in previous years.

“Shopmobility previously validated pay and display tickets for disabled people.

"In April 2010, the council wrote to Shopmobility giving them 12 months’ notice that this service would end on March 31 and from this date the validation service would no longer be required.”

Richard Ashdown, executive director of the National Federation of Shopmobility, said: “We’re very sad to hear of the funding problems in Kendal.

"However, we would encourage schemes to develop new partnership arrangements with local retailers and other businesses as well as disabled charities to help them overcome the funding problems.”