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Malls get funding boost to become more family friendly

SINGAPORE — More is being done to encourage tenants in neighbourhood shopping malls to go family-friendly to better cater to those with young children, the elderly and disabled family members.

Northpoint Shopping Centre in Yishun has 
put in place 
family-friendly features such as 
its Kid’s Corner. 
Today file photo

Northpoint Shopping Centre in Yishun has
put in place
family-friendly features such as
its Kid’s Corner.
Today file photo

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SINGAPORE — More is being done to encourage tenants in neighbourhood shopping malls to go family-friendly to better cater to those with young children, the elderly and disabled family members.

From Oct 1, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will increase funding for the FamilyMatters@Business Grant by fourfold, to be capped at S$200,000, to help neighbourhood malls adopt practices that welcome families.

Such practices can include the installation of more ramps for strollers and wheelchairs, nursing rooms, child- and elderly-friendly toilets, as well as amenities such as non-slip floors and grab bars in washrooms and stairways.

Neighbourhood malls can apply for a one-off grant that subsidises up to 70 per cent of costs incurred in implementing such family-friendly initiatives.

The increased funding announced yesterday comes after feedback was received from representatives of 16 neighbourhood malls. In focus-group discussions with the representatives, all agreed that there was a need for the malls to put in place family-friendly infrastructure, amenities and services, but the former grant amount would have allowed malls to do so only on a “piecemeal basis”, they said.

Since the grant was introduced in April last year, it has funded more than 50 businesses.

More than 5,600 businesses have pledged to be more family friendly, while more than 430 have been awarded the Businesses for Families Mark.

Announcing the increased funding at Compass Point Shopping Centre, Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, said malls that had implemented family-friendly initiatives had yielded positive results.

“One-third of the tenants at this shopping centre have already committed to family-friendly services and we understand that, last year, this shopping centre has seen more than 18 million shoppers in terms of traffic,” she added. “This goes to show that it’s a win-win outcome for (tenants and shoppers).”

Several businesses at the shopping centre that have adopted family-friendly initiatives for customers have reported revenue growth and greater customer loyalty, and are looking to do more.

Sakae Holdings CEO Lilian Foo said: “When our customers come in (to our shop), they see wider walkways, a lower conveyer belt and round tables, and get excited when they see we’ve implemented all these initiatives for them. We will continue to enhance the sushi game and, at the same time, are looking at larger and broader sitting arrangements, so the young and old can sit together to enjoy their meal.”

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