Thistles supports local area
Thistles shopping centre is celebrating a year of giving back to the local community through its #ThistlesHelps initiative from charity partnerships through to supporting local businesses.
Since the centre fully reopened in April this year it has delivered charity partnerships with foodbank Start Up Stirling, and Reanimate, a local animal charity with a focus on improving people’s mental health and wellbeing.
To date £550 has been raised for Start Up Stirling through the‘Communities Beyond Covid’appeal, which saw the introduction of a tap to donate station within the centre. A further £400 was gifted to Reanimate following the Littlest Pet Shop event in summer.
The local community has thrown its support behind both charities, with an additional 467.11kgs worth of products donated to Start Up Stirling through the donation station at Thistles to support the foodbank.
In recent months Thistles has also welcomed new retailers. Following the launch of Blue Inc and Leading Labels earlier this summer, The Fragrance Shop opened its doors in October, with Ann Summers and Little Bambinos opening in November.
The centre has also become home to Coorie Creative, a social enterprise which uses the art of weaving to support those who have experienced trauma.
Following its successful #ThistlesHelps competition to help a local business recover post-Covid-19, Centre Stage Dancewear began its free five-month lease of a 1000 sq ft retail unit at the end of August.
The store’s co-founder Lesley Ann said: “We were so delighted to win the competition and be given the opportunity to have a store in the Thistles. The response from local dance schools and customers has been amazing. Our shop encourages the dance experience, having fun and being ‘Centre Stage’.”
Thistles director Gary Turnbull said: “The last 19 months have been difficult for most of us as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the necessary restrictions placed on a number of industries including retail.
“This time has, however, allowed us to refocus our energies and consider what we want the future of the centre to look like, a result of which has been the introduction of our #ThistlesHelps initiative which aims to help individuals and businesses in the local community.
“The work we’ve done through #ThistlesHelps to give back to the community has been a real highlight for all of us at Thistles and it’s thanks to the support from visitors to the centre that we’ve been able to make a real difference to our charity partners, something we hope to build on even more as we gear up for our festive activity with Strathcarron Hospice and Start Up Stirling.”
The Thistles has also been focusing on sustainability, achieving zero waste to landfill with all waste leaving the centre now being recycled or recovered.
At present, 53 per cent of all waste to leave the shopping centre is recycled, with the remaining 47 per cent recovered, meaning zero waste goes to landfill.