Community

For some people shopping can be a busy, noisy and stressful experience. At Queen Street Shopping Centre we understand that and want to support our shoppers who would prefer to browse our retailers in more calm and quiet surroundings.

Many retailers and venues host 60 minutes of relaxed shopping in the town, including Queen Street. Our weekly Quiet Hour, held every Sunday from 10.30am-11.30am, helps to create a more relaxed and enjoyable shopping experience for customers who need a break from the hustle and bustle.

Take the time out to enjoy some well-deserved retail therapy in a calm environment at Queen Street Shopping Centre.

Every November we mark the national event ‘Purple Tuesday’ at Queen Street Shopping Centre. The goal of the event is to improve the disabled customer experience 365 days a year and is a chance for organisations of all sizes from all sectors to get involved.

Purple Tuesday provides retailers with a guide to improve the accessibility of their shops and better support their customers with disabilities or visual impairments.

For more information, please click the button below

If you are looking for multi-sensory play for newborns, babies, toddlers and young children; visit Hartbeeps and CuriosiTeas at Queen Street Shopping Centre. Step inside to be greeted with a warm welcome from the teams as they help you find the right specialist class for your little one or enjoy play while you enjoy a coffee and a chat.

Leading the way with innovative and creative enrichment experiences for babies, toddlers and their parents, Hartbeeps and CuriosiTeas have been designed to delight newly acquired senses and confidence building.

Queen Street Shopping Centre is a member of Darlington Cares and our staff regularly volunteer at community projects including litter picking, assisting at Kings Church food bank, listening to children read at local schools and working on environmental projects as a team.

We also support the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme. Not every disability is visible and it can be difficult for others to recognise, acknowledge or understand the challenges faced when living with a hidden disability. Wearing the sunflower lanyard indicates to people around you that help may be required.

We are giving away sunflower lanyards, so to get yours either visit the Queen Street Management Office on Bondgate or speak to a member of the Queen Street Team on the mall. 

We work closely with local charity School Uniform Exchange, run by Darlington Borough Council, to support families in the Darlington area to suit and boot their children ready for school. 

Before you go shopping for new school uniforms for the kids, pop in and see what we’ve got first! All of the uniforms are free, no questions asked, and in doing so you’ll be saving money, helping the environment, and supporting a local community initiative.

At Queen Street Shopping Centre we are striving to ‘go green’ as much as we can. Throughout our shopping premises, we recycle all materials wherever possible and use no chemicals in our cleaning regimes.