‘How can Rock Up open, but we can’t go to the cinema?’
Parents’ Confusion as popular indoor Climbing Venue reopens its City doors
PARENTS have spoken of their confusion after a popular children’s indoor climbing venue in Hull announced plans to reopen this week, while cinemas, bowling alleys and soft play centres are forced to remain closed.
Rock Up, in St Stephen’s shopping centre reopened yesterday when the city entered Tier 3 restrictions, after being closed throughout the second lockdown since November 5.
The indoor facility, which operates 90-minute sessions, is popular with children of all ages, with climbing walls which tower more than 8m high.
Booking is now live on the website for visits, with some slots already fully booked, although parties cannot be held and the soft play area for younger children will remain closed.
The venue can legally open because it is classed as a climbing sport facility, which is allowed to open in all tiers, and comes after UK Active lobbied the Government to allow gyms and leisure facilities to open in all tiers.
The same rules apply for Rock City and Mad Volume Climbing in Hull.
But parents have questioned the government rules as to how a climbing centre can reopen when Tier 3 restrictions prevent what they describe as “similar” venues, including cinemas, from reopening.
One mum said: “Answer me this, how come Rock Up can open, where the kids will touch the handles which can easily spread Covid and mix with whichever kids are in the same session.
“But we can’t go to the cinema and sit away from people and only touch our own chair, which could be wiped down before each screening? It literally makes no sense to me at all.”
Another said: “Have you seen Rock Up is reopening before Christmas? I can’t keep up with the rules because I thought places like that couldn’t open?
“Similar places like Gravity can’t open.”
Rock Up has made itself “Covid-19 secure” by reducing capacity in each session and is asking only one parent per booking accompanies their children.
Staff are also urging people to stay within their own bubbles and to maintain social distancing at all times.
Aaran Eade, operations director at Rock Up, said the firm has had to adapt, but can legally and safely open: Climbing is allowed to open in all tiers.
“It comes under climbing gyms. We work with the Association of British Climbing Walls, which works with UK Active, which has lobbied the Government.
“It looks after indoor centres and it’s one of those sports which has been around for 16 or odd years or more, it’s not a new thing or a fad.
“We have our instructions in place, there’s a lot we can’t do, but we can open climbing. We can’t host parties or open soft play and the café will be takeaway only so there’s no furniture.
“It’s a Covid-secure environment. You sanitise on the way in, everyone 11 and over wears a mask, you sanitise after your briefing and throughout climbing, and we have reduced numbers in there as well.”
Mr Eade said staff would be doing “more cleaning than ever before” to ensure the facility is Covid-19 secure: “There’s more space because there’s less people now.
“Even when we reopened after the first lockdown we had to reduce our capacity.
“Our staff are doing more cleaning than they’ve ever done before.
“As people are climbing we are trying to keep the walls clean, it’s never ending. We can’t keep the walls fully clean, but we can keep a customer clean.
“Hence why you sanitise when you come in and after the briefing and continue to sanitise throughout your climbing session.”
Mr Eade said the reopening during Tier 3 was vital to save jobs.
“We’ve got three sites in Tier 3, the only reason running them is to save jobs we won’t make any money from them, but we will save jobs,” he added.
“Our aim on those sites is if they’re able to cover their costs, we’re happy with that and it saves jobs.”