Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Save our soft play before they shut permanently
The owner of an Airdrie play centre joined a protest at the Scottish Parliament highlighting the plight of soft play and similar facilities which have been closed for more than six months, with no reopening date set.
Chris Stewart of Weanz World play café on Hallcraig Street joined colleagues from across Scotland for the event at Holyrood, asking for support for the country’s indoor play industry.
Their calls for a safe return to business are being supported by Graham Simpson MSP – who says that nearly two-thirds of affected facilities are “predicted to close permanently by Christmas”.
Weanz World hosts a “play town” with a range of settings aimed at underfives including a mini shop, hospital, salon, vet, café and building site.
Chris said: “We’ve been closed since March 20, but in reality we’ve had no income from as far back as the start of March when customers stopped attending due to government advice to avoid social gatherings.
“I understand these are difficult and uncertain times, but while the Scottish Government has said under12s don’t need to socially distance, my business – which is for younger children – isn’t allowed to reopen.
“This is even though I can demonstrate it can be done safely. Many of the health and safety practices being put in place by other venues were general practice in our play café.”
A Facebook post on the Weanz World page following the Holyrood protest added: “With 96 per cent of Scottish businesses now open and many of [those] remaining having access to new grants to support their extended closure, the indoor play industry has been totally abandoned.
“[ It was] great to see the crowd today demanding support for the industry; with thousands of jobs at risks and no confidence around when we can reopen, venues from around the country came together at the Scottish Parliament to ask for support.”
Chris gained the backing of Mr Simpson, who says “it is essential that indoor play centres are allowed to reopen or gain some kind of government support”.
He said: “Why is it that adults in Scotland can eat, drink and be merry in pubs but children cannot access this form of play, exercise and social interaction?
“With w int e r fast approaching, kids need a way to play in a safe, public, all-weather environment.
“Unlike outdoor swing parks that are neither sanitised or monitored, indoor centres have a full list of the many coronavirus measures they have adopted – they are ready to open their doors to the public in a safe, measured way.
“Beyond coronavirus, there is real concern for the mental health and socialisation of our youngsters, and indoor play also has the potential to be a key part of the government’s obesity reduction strategy.”
Similar facilities reopened in England and Wales in August and in Northern Ireland earlier this month, but Scotland’s 145 play centres have no reopening plans yet after indicative dates of September 14 and then October 5 were paused as coronavirus restrictions increased in response to rising infection rates.
Mr Simpson added: “These are difficult times and public health must remain our first priority, but with these centres open elsewhere in the UK with no detectable adverse impact on the spread of coronavirus, the Scottish Government must open them in a safe way or these spaces will shut permanently.”
Conservative Miles Briggs has tabled a motion at the parliament supporting the industry and its workers, calling soft play and indoor facilities “critical [ in] providing exercise and fitness locations for younger children to learn to play together” and “social hubs for the whole community”.
It adds that despite under12s not needing to observe social distancing, the “centres are still prevented from opening”, concluding: “It is critical Scotland’s indoor and soft play centres are provided financial support by the Scottish Government to prevent the loss of these valuable small businesses.”
As she announced new restrictions this week – including a 10pm curfew for hospitality venues and a nationwide extension of the ban on indoor household visits – Nicola Sturgeon said that “in light of the current situation, the route map changes with an indicative date of October 5 are unlikely now to go ahead on that timescale”.
The First Minister told Holyrood at the last threeweekly review of restrictions: “The Scottish Government’s judgement is that we cannot at this stage risk the new opportunities for transmission of Covid that reopening further services and facilities would entail.
“Unfortunately, due to the rise in cases, changes [ originally provisionally scheduled for September 14] must be paused; the services affected are theatres, live music venues, indoor soft play facilities, and indoor contact sports for people aged 12 and over.
“I’m well aware that for people who work in the sectors affected, it’s a very hard message to hear – I know how long they have waited to start up again and how much work they have put into plans for safe reopening. I also know the impact of continued closure.
“The decision to delay the indicative date has not been taken lightly. However, given the rise in the number of cases, it is the only responsible decision we can reach.”