The centre will be showing its true colours this month as it champions staff with disabilities and focuses on overcoming the challenges faced by disabled customers.
Purple Tuesday will also be a celebration for St Johns itself as it officially becomes one of the first shopping centres in the UK to be recognised as a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader. That means it is helping to set the standard for retailers across the country in recruiting, retaining and developing the skills of people with disabilities and long-term conditions.
To mark the award, St Johns will be turning purple on Tuesday, November 13, and it’s inviting customers and staff to join in, show their support and have some fun.
The centre will be filled with purple balloons, staff will all be decked out in the colour of the day, and there’ll be face painters keeping the theme. A purple choir, The Luminelles from the Birkenhead High School Academy, will be singing a medley of songs to keep everyone entertained and little shoppers can even drop in some early gift requests to a purple Santa!
Job Centre Plus will also be promoting disability confident and access to work on the day, providing advice to retailers, handing out information leaflets and offering free training for anyone who wants to know more.
St Johns Centre general manager Neil Ashcroft said Purple Tuesday would be a great opportunity to celebrate the centre’s achievement and what it means to staff, potential employees and customers with disabilities.
He added: “As a Disability Confident Leader, St Johns is showing that we are truly an inclusive and supportive employer. We will also be acting as a champion within our local and business communities, encouraging others to join the scheme and show a positive attitude.
“We’re really keen to set a good example and help remove the barriers to recruiting and retaining staff with disabilities. What matters to us is having the most talented people working at St Johns, regardless of any disability they may have.”
The Disability Confident scheme encourages and supports employers to feel confident in offering jobs to people with a disability, giving them the opportunity to realise their full potential in the workplace.
