St George’s Shopping Centre in Harrow Town Centre has introduced weekly ‘Quiet Hours’ every Sunday morning. The new initiative, which began at the start of last month, is designed to create a calmer and more inclusive environment for shoppers.
Between 11am and 12pm each week, participating shops and restaurants reduce their lighting and music, while the centre also switches off its internal radio system. On its website, St George’s said: “Our retailers and restaurants will reduce their lighting and music to create a calmer, more inclusive shopping environment for all our visitors.”
The centre added: “Whether you prefer a more tranquil shopping experience or have sensory sensitivities, our Quiet Hours are designed with you in mind.”
Quiet Hours are particularly beneficial for people with autism, dementia, and sensory processing challenges, as well as families with young children who may prefer a less overwhelming shopping atmosphere.
They are becoming increasingly common across the UK, with major retail destinations such as Westfield London, Bluewater in Kent, and Birmingham’s Bullring also offering similar schemes.
St George’s aims to make Harrow Town Centre shopping more welcoming and accessible to all – what do you think of the idea? Let us know in the comments on our socials.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
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