On ‘Purple Tuesday’, November 13, organisations in Preston city centre confirmed their long-term commitment to making shops and businesses more accessible to users with mobility issues.
St George’s Shopping Centre, Preston BID and Preston Mobility Centre worked with Disability Equality North West to present an accessibility workshop, attended by city centre businesses.
In addition to the Purple Tuesday Workshop, the new ‘Changing Places’ facility in Preston was officially launched at Preston Mobility Centre. Over 250,000 people need ‘Changing Places’ facilities to enable them to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities many of us take for granted; the installation of the new city centre unit is a major step forward for the city.
Andrew Stringer, Centre Manager at St George’s, said: “St Georges are proud to working with keys partners including Preston Mobility Centre, Disability Equality NW, BID and the Department for Work and Pensions in championing Purple Tuesday in Preston. As a team we have been focussed on raising awareness to create a more accessible environment for shoppers, our activities on the day included an accessibility awareness workshop plus all our ambassadors, identifiable by their purple t-shirts, were on hand to assist shoppers with their specific needs.”
Joe Hannet, Preston Mobility Centre Manager, said: “This is a great start. I’m over the moon with the commitment to a more inclusive future from the retail sector in Preston, the leadership shown by St George’s Centre and BID. Kudos also to the retailers who sent staff to today’s awareness event. We’ll learn from today and make sure this embeds in the retail offer for Preston going forward.
Mark Whittle, BID Manager, said: “Today was a great launchpad on which the city can build for the future. We are committed, in the long-term, to working with experts to ensure that visiting Preston, and moving around city centre businesses, is as easy as possible for members of the community with specialist mobility needs.
