‘Little Shoppers Stay Safe’ as part of Nationwide Child Safety Campaign

Date: 18 Jul 2008

 

Part of a nationwide roll out amongst Land Securities shopping centres, the Little Shopper Stay Safe scheme aims to help families enjoy a relaxed, safe and carefree day out by helping to minimise the trauma and distress of children and parents becoming separated in busy shopping centres.

 

Free wristbands will be available for parents to fill in emergency contact information and attach it to their child for the duration of the shopping trip. The wristband comes with a special information card which tells parents what to do if they become separated from their child, and gives details of a special telephone helpline to call to help reunite them.

 

Land Securities’ Head of Retail Operations Nick Peel, said: “The fear of children going missing is thankfully much greater than the reality, however we want families to enjoy a visit to a Land Securities’ shopping centre and feel relaxed and this is just the sort of scheme to help ensure they have a carefree and enjoyable experience with us.

 

“By taking the best of our existing schemes we believe we have come up with a unique system which helps children and their parents should they become separated. We’ve also had some great support from our retailers who welcome the scheme.”

 

Ging Duncan, manager of the Almondvale Crèche and Nursery within the Livingston centre who is supporting the Little Shoppers scheme, along with all another retailers which have signed up for the launch, said: “As a retailer within The Centre, it’s important to recognise the importance of child safety in such a popular public space. We are delighted to be involved with the campaign – making our customers safer and making shopping a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.”

 

Susan Crawford, Community Police Officer for Livingston also attended the launch of the child safety scheme. She added: “Lost children is a parent’s worst nightmare so any scheme to keep child safety at the fore of everyone’s minds is greatly welcomed. I am delighted to be here today to see the workings of the Little Shoppers Stay Safe campaign and applaud all retailers and The Centre for taking part in such a worthwhile campaign showing the value of partnership working.”  

 

Stores and customer services points across the 27 Land Securities’ shopping centres will display window stickers and posters carrying the Little Shopper Stay Safe logo and teddy bear mascot, and identify safe places for lost children and adults to seek assistance.

 

Little Shopper Stay Safe’s launch comes after a successful pilot scheme of a similar operation at Land Securities’ Lewisham shopping centre in London, and followed evaluation of other similar schemes which had been running in other Land Securities-run centre

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