Great British Mobility Group
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGreat British Mobility Group was a British supplier of mobility aids, including adjustable beds and rise-and-recline chairs, serving older and disabled customers.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Great British Mobility Group Ltd. was a United Kingdom company focused on mobility and independent-living equipment for older people and people with disabilities. Its principal products included electric adjustable beds and rise-and-recline chairs, with an emphasis on products manufactured in Britain. The business developed from two specialist operations established by Tim Hedgecock and an unnamed partner. Hedgecock began selling rise-and-recline chairs in 2004, and the founders subsequently established the Grey Chair Company Ltd. in 2004 and the Grey Bed Company Ltd. in 2005 to supply adjustable beds for customers with impaired mobility. In September 2005, the two businesses were combined to create The Great British Mobility Group. The group was based in North Somerset throughout its operating life. It initially operated from Congresbury and later from Hewish, near Weston-super-Mare, before locating its headquarters at Brinsea, where the business had originally been formed. Its logistics footprint included a warehouse at Colonnade Point in ProLogis Park, Coventry, opened in 2007, followed by a new Coventry distribution warehouse in February 2012. This distribution infrastructure supported the group's delivery of mobility furniture and related products to customers across the United Kingdom. The company encountered severe financial difficulty during the early 2010s. It entered administration in January 2012 with debts to trade creditors reported at approximately £3 million. In February 2012, insolvency practitioners from Begbies Traynor sold the company's assets and intellectual property to its main creditor, The Mobility Rental Group Ltd. The restructuring reportedly preserved the jobs of all 27 employees, and the business continued filling customer orders and trading under the Great British Mobility name during the restructuring process. A Company Voluntary Arrangement was put in place, and Phillip John Gorman and Peter Richard James Frost of Hazelwoods LLP were appointed joint supervisors on 28 July 2012 under Part 1 of the Insolvency Act. Beyond commercial activity, the group participated in local and charitable initiatives. It sponsored the Scottish International Bowls Tournament during the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons and organized a golf tournament supporting St Andrew's Church in Congresbury and other local organizations. The 2009 golf event raised £20,000 for those causes. The company ultimately ceased to exist as a legal entity and was dissolved on 7 July 2016. Because the available reference material is concentrated on the company's formation, products, insolvency, community activities, and dissolution, detailed information about its later management, sales, and post-restructuring operations is unavailable.
History
Great British Mobility Group emerged from a pair of North Somerset mobility-equipment businesses. Tim Hedgecock began selling rise-and-recline chairs in 2004, leading to the formation of the Grey Chair Company Ltd. A second company, the Grey Bed Company Ltd., was established in 2005 to supply adjustable beds for people with impaired mobility. In September 2005, the two operations were merged into The Great British Mobility Group, creating a business centered on mobility furniture and products intended to support independent living. The group presented itself as a supplier of British-made mobility products, particularly for elderly and disabled customers. Its offering included electric adjustable beds and rise-and-recline chairs. The company's operational base remained in North Somerset. It was first associated with Congresbury and Hewish, near Weston-super-Mare, and later headquartered at Brinsea. To support national distribution, it opened a warehouse at Colonnade Point in ProLogis Park, Coventry, in 2007. A further Coventry distribution warehouse opened in February 2012. Community engagement formed part of the company's local profile. Great British Mobility sponsored the Scottish International Bowls Tournament in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons. It also organized a charitable golf tournament. In 2009, the event raised £20,000 for St Andrew's Church in Congresbury and other local organizations. The company faced financial distress in 2012. It was placed into administration in January of that year with reported trade-creditor debts of about £3 million. In February, Begbies Traynor insolvency practitioners arranged the sale of the company's assets and intellectual property to The Mobility Rental Group Ltd., described as the principal creditor. The restructuring reportedly saved the positions of all 27 employees. The business continued to fulfill customer orders and trade under the Great British Mobility name during the restructuring period. A Company Voluntary Arrangement was subsequently put in place. Phillip John Gorman and Peter Richard James Frost of Hazelwoods LLP were appointed joint supervisors on 28 July 2012 under Part 1 of the Insolvency Act. The available account does not provide a detailed description of the company's trading performance after the arrangement. Great British Mobility Group was ultimately dissolved on 7 July 2016 and is therefore no longer an operating company.
- 2016
Dissolution
[1]Great British Mobility Group was dissolved on 7 July.
- 2012
Administration and restructuring
[1]The company entered administration in January, followed by the sale of its assets and intellectual property to The Mobility Rental Group in February.
- 2009
Charity golf event raises funds
[1]A company golf tournament raised £20,000 for St Andrew's Church in Congresbury and other local organizations.
- 2007
Coventry warehouse opened
[1]The group opened a warehouse at Colonnade Point in ProLogis Park, Coventry.
- 2005
Grey Bed Company established
[1]The Grey Bed Company Ltd. was formed to supply adjustable beds for people with impaired mobility.
- 2005
Great British Mobility Group formed
[1]The Grey Chair Company and Grey Bed Company were merged in September to create The Great British Mobility Group.
- 2004
Rise-and-recline chair business begins
[1]Tim Hedgecock began selling rise-and-recline chairs, laying the foundation for the later mobility group.
- 2004
Grey Chair Company established
[1]The Grey Chair Company Ltd. was founded to develop the chair business.
Products and positioning
A British-focused supplier of mobility furniture and independent-living equipment designed for older people and customers with impaired mobility.
Mobility and independent-living equipment · 2005
Electric adjustable beds
Electrically adjustable beds designed for customers with impaired mobility. The products formed the bed-focused part of the business established through the Grey Bed Company and were intended to make positioning and access easier for older and disabled users.
Mobility furniture · 2004
Rise-and-recline chairs
Specialist chairs that assist users in moving between sitting and standing positions while also providing reclining functionality. They were the earliest product line associated with Tim Hedgecock's mobility-equipment business and remained one of the group's core offerings.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Community charity golf tournament
North Somerset · United Kingdom
The company hosted a golf tournament to support St Andrew's Church in Congresbury and other local organizations.
Outcome. The event raised £20,000 in 2009.
- 2007Scottish International Bowls Tournament sponsorship continuation
United Kingdom
Great British Mobility continued its sponsorship of the Scottish International Bowls Tournament for the 2007–08 season.
Outcome. The available source confirms the sponsorship but does not report additional campaign results.
- 2006Scottish International Bowls Tournament sponsorship
United Kingdom
The company sponsored the Scottish International Bowls Tournament during the 2006–07 season as part of its community and promotional activity.
Outcome. The sponsorship continued into the following 2007–08 season; no further outcome is documented.
Brand decisions
2012
Administration and creditor-led asset saleOtherBackground
The company entered administration in January 2012 with reported debts to trade creditors of approximately £3 million.
Action taken
In February 2012, insolvency practitioners sold the company's assets and intellectual property to The Mobility Rental Group Ltd., its main creditor.
Aftermath
The restructuring reportedly preserved all 27 employee jobs, while the business continued fulfilling orders under the Great British Mobility name. A Company Voluntary Arrangement was later supervised by Hazelwoods partners.
Trade-creditor debt. Approximately £3 million owed (January 2012)
2005
Merge the chair and bed businessesStrategyBackground
The Grey Chair Company and Grey Bed Company operated as related specialist businesses serving customers with mobility needs.
Action taken
The two companies were combined in September 2005 to form The Great British Mobility Group.
Aftermath
The merger created a broader mobility-equipment supplier covering both chairs and adjustable beds.
Sources1 sources
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