Bringing virtual wellbeing to the entire neighborhood

At Golden Square, a shopping center in Warrington, UK, just seven of its 140 stores are open for essential shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn’t mean all is quiet.

Ian Cox, the shopping center’s director, and his team wanted to ensure the centre continued to be a community hub. And so he decided to expand its GSCares’ mental health and wellbeing program, which was set up a year ago to support staff at LaSalle Investment Management’s Golden Square.

“Joining forces with local support groups and charities in the WarringtonCares scheme, we’ve brought several groups in the town together on digital platforms, from online baking and creative art classes to advice forums,” he says. “We want to remind people – particularly the elderly – that being social doesn’t stop despite the restrictions in place.”

That’s not all. Healthcare workers were offered free spaces in the center’s car park. Plus, Golden Square has also joined forces with Glowbar Supplies to provide items running low at supermarkets free of charge to team members and local people in need.

“We equally wanted to support the local community and ensured Warrington Foodbank received a delivery of the same items,” Ian says of the scheme.