Forty children from Lower Darwen Primary School descended on The Mall Blackburn as part of a national initiative to give children an insight into the working world.
The Takeover Day scheme is backed by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner gives kids the chance to shadow professionals and see what is involved in the day-to-day operations of a shopping centre.
The year six pupils were taken on a unique behind the scenes tour of the shopping centre including the sprinkler room, recycling centre and control room.
Following this they visited the management offices and the Ask Me Point to learn about how each job function contributes to the smooth running of the busy Mall.
Loraine Jones, General Manager at The Mall, said: “We had a fantastic time with the children from Lower Darwen Primary School and they were an absolute credit to their school.
“It was wonderful to see how inquisitive they were and they asked lots of interesting questions throughout the day.
“When we asked them what their favourite part of the day was every single child said their visit to the control room, which came as no surprise as it is a hive of activity and is home to all the CCTV operations.
“I am sure, from our conversations with the youngsters, that there are a lot of future retailers, security personnel and retail management candidates amongst the class!”
Ten-year-old Alex Needham added: “It was really exciting to be in the control room watching what the security team do.”
Class teacher, Leanne Sambrook, concluded: “Our day at The Mall Blackburn was wonderful and I would like to thank everyone for making us feel so welcome.
“I think it is vitally important that children are taken out into the real world to get a feel for what they could do in the future. We often host outside companies and charities in class, but being onsite and going behind the scenes was a real eye opener. The children have not stopped talking about it since!”
Schools that would like to take part in next year Takeover Day should e-mail laura.diffey@themall.co.uk
