One of Halton’s leading shopping centres, Shopping City Runcorn, is diversifying its offering to shoppers with the expansion of its community-focused initiatives.
The shopping centre, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last month, has been at the heart of its community since 1972 and is stepping up its provisions to support the needs of its shoppers.
Runcorn Citizens Advice Bureau recently opened in Shopping City, providing individuals with confidential advice and assistance relating to housing, legal, debt and consumer issues.
Alongside this, the NHS is soon to be occupying an 11,000 sq ft unit in the centre, with the new Health Hub set to offer ophthalmology, audiology and dietetics outpatient services.
Health and wellbeing is also being prioritised through other centre initiatives, including an on-site boxing club, ABC Boxing, which supports 16 to 19-year-olds to gain fitness-based qualifications.
Earlier this year, Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale, also relocated his constituency office to Shopping City, adding to the centre’s growing reputation as a community hub.
“The centre has grown into so much more than just a retail destination,” said Dave Pearman, Centre Manager at Shopping City.
“Alongside our extensive retail and leisure offering, we’re also working hard to provide for our community in the areas that are much needed and matter most to them.
“Whether that’s health and wellbeing, consumer advice, or sports and fitness opportunities for our young people, we want our centre to be a hub for the community, a place where they can access the services they need.
“Having this strong community presence in the centre allows us to set a forward-thinking precedent for how shopping centre’s should operate, putting in place the infrastructure to support our people and provide them with a valuable experience each time they walk through our doors.”
As these community initiatives come into action, Shopping City is also bouncing back from the pandemic with significant commercial milestones, welcoming new tenants into the centre.
Last month, Coffee King unveiled its new kiosk, which was opened at a launch event attended by brand ambassador and rugby star Martin Offiah.
To find out more about Shopping City and its retailers, visit www.shopping-city.co.uk
