Dolphin awards Dolphin Shopping Centre Car Park People's Parking accreditation

Dolphin Shopping Centre Multi-Storey Car park has been awarded the People's Parking accreditation by Helen Dolphin MBE. Dolphin founded People's Parking in 2016, which aims to improve car parks for customers by highlighting those with facilities for disabled people, parents, commuters, cyclists, EVs and those who drive wheelchair accessible vehicles or camper vans. People's Parking also aims to drive up standards in the parking industry as all car parks achieving the accreditation will need to demonstrate that they have good signage and pedestrian routes, are well lit, clean and managed. The location of the car park is also noted to make parking easier for people who are new to an area.

Helen Dolphin MBE, quadruple amputee and disability campaigner, said: “I came up with the idea for People's Parking because as a disabled person I have often struggled to find car parks with the facilities I need, and by knowing which car parks meet my requirements it makes travel a lot easier. However, it soon became obvious to me that many other groups of people would benefit from knowing in advance which car parks would suit them. Many car parks provide parent and child parking, or EV charging, or have no height restrictions for high vehicles but it can be difficult to find all this information in one place. People also tend to have more than one need, so they may be disabled but also require no height restriction as they drive from their wheelchair. By creating People's Parking, I have enabled people to search for a car park with all their individual requirements. I'm really delighted that the Dolphin Shopping Centre multi-storey car park achieved my accreditation and I hope it will encourage other car parks in Poole to follow suit.”

Councillor Ian Potter, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transportation, Planning and Regeneration, Borough of Poole, said: “We have recently made significant investment in our car parks creating a better experience for shoppers and an improved first impression for visitors arriving in our town centre."

“We are delighted that our Dolphin Shopping Centre multi-storey car park has achieved the People's Parking accreditation. We are very committed to maintaining the high standards of our car parks and we are pleased that this award reflects this commitment.”

There are hundreds of car parks inthe scheme which have met the accreditations high standards all over the UK.

People's Parking works in partnership with the International Parking Community (IPC) to help raise standards within the parking industry.