The cinema tower will shine purple at Festival Place in Basingstoke on November 12 to signal the shopping centre’s support for Purple Tuesday 2019.
The town centre retail and leisure destination is throwing its full support behind the national awareness day, which aims to promote inclusivity and accessibility for customers with physical or hidden disabilities.
Centre music will be turned off for the day to help create a calming shopping experience for people who have sensory difficulties.
The theme will run throughout the centre as lighting turns purple, the customer lounge is decorated with purple balloons, and teams of helpers dressed in purple will be raising awareness and offering shoppers a helping hand.
Children from Dove House School in Basingstoke will also be supporting the team at Festival Place throughout the day.
Neil Churchill, Centre Director at Festival Place, said: “Shopping throughout November and December can be an overwhelming sensory experience in the busy period before Christmas.
“Our involvement in Purple Tuesday on November 12 will give customers an opportunity to take advantage of our vast range of stores, restaurants and leisure facilities in a more relaxed environment.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting those with extra needs and disabilities, we have introduced a range of initiatives to provide the best possible visitor experience.
“Our new quiet hours from 4pm-7pm on Wednesdays and 9am-11am on Saturdays sees our music turned off both in the mall and at participating retailers to help provide respite for those affected.
“We will be rolling out an Autism and Dementia Awareness training alongside Basingstoke Together and BCOT, alongside an Autism Friendly guide which will be available on our website.”
Hannah Stroud, Assistant Headteacher at Dove House and Head of Post 16 said "Purple Tuesday is something Dove House are really proud to support.
“It is all about the little things that can be done to help make life that little bit easier for those who struggle to access the everyday things that many of us take for granted.
Purple Tuesday is about being inclusive and raising awareness, many of our learners and their families benefit from the changes that Festival Place have made, not just on Purple Tuesday but every day, if everyone were to make little changes like this, it could make a huge difference."
This Christmas shopping season, visitors can also enjoy the benefits of Festival Place’s newly refurbished car park with improvements including wider spaces, lights to alert drivers to free spaces, more payment machines, and six electric charging points.
The refurbished car park has been accredited with two parking awards. The Park Mark award and the Disabled Parking Accreditation, both of which recognise Festival Place's commitment to providing an environment where customers, including Blue Badge holders, can park safely and with confidence.
Share this article
