May 17 was a happy day at 360 Play in Stevenage for customers and staff.
The leisure attraction closed its doors along with the rest of the town's hospitality businesses back in December last year, with the hope it would only be a few weeks before they could reopen.
Five months later, in line with stage three of the road map, 360 Play finally got to welcome back many families for some well overdue fun and play.
Founder and manging director Duncan Phillips said: “The coronavirus has had deep and wide impacts on the regions, our families and many of the hospitality businesses that serve them.
"Some of the most impacted and yet least talked about are our children. As a father of two boys I have seen some of the impacts this latest lockdown has had on them which is why I am so pleased we can open up our attraction in stage three for local families to be able to come and enjoy some play time without screens.“
On the first day of reopening, a young parent said: “My son has been so excited to finally come back. It's all he’s spoken about since I’ve told him we are coming, I’m glad soft plays have finally reopened.”
360 Centre Manager Rosie Barker added: “The second lockdown has been very hard on many of our staff and so we are really pleased to be able to get back to doing what we love here at 360, and hopefully put some smiles back on our customers' faces.
"We will keep in place our COVID-safe operating procedures and be limiting numbers while we steadily emerge from the latest lockdown. I have really missed seeing the centre full of life over the last few months so I and all the team are loving the noise our first customers are making with us today.”
Founder Duncan Phillips started the business to give families like his own a place where they could all play together.
"Utilising hands on creative play environments, physically active play settings and skills-based play attractions, the centre encourages intergenerational active play in a more traditional way encouraging adults to spend time playing with their children and having fun too.
360 Play will be gifting free tickets to families in Stevenage as part of its Young Minds Campaign.
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