A WALTHAMSTOW shopping centre is the place to be if you want to be part of a happy workforce.

The Selborne Walk centre, owned by the Mall group, has come in the top 50 of the UK's best places to work survey for 2006.

Ranked in 29th place, the centre was chosen after more 300 employees from Walthamstow and similar Mall-owned centres around the UK gave their views.

The annual survey was published by the Financial Times in conjunction with the Great Place to Work Institute.

Alasdair Currie, general manager at the Mall, Selborne Walk, said: "Our inclusion in this list is a fantastic endorsement of the Mall's approach that puts our people at the heart of the business, alongside placing the Mall itself at the heart of the community."

Among the criteria for choosing the top 50 were employees' pride in their work, trust in management, organisation and camaraderie.

Everyone who works at the centre is offered a two-year development programme to help improve their work skills, which is called "M Power" traiing.

The Walthamstow centre in the High Street employees 30 staff at all levels of the business.

Gaynor Gillespie, human resources director at the Mall, said: "The fact that the survey is largely based on feedback from our own people makes this particularly valuable for us.

"The feedback we receive directly from our employees is crucial in ensuring the business continues to develop in the right way and this top 50 placing is evidence that we are on the right track.

"We want anyone who works for us to be all they can be' with the Mall and we promote this by making continuous training and development available for all staff."

The Mall was established in 2002 by Capital and Regional and Morley Fund Management.