North-east play centres call for urgent help amid ongoing restrictions

Soft play centres in the north-east are joining national calls for urgent industry funding - as restrictions continue to force them to stay closed.

An indicative date had initially been set for their reopening for this week, but that has been pushed back to October 5, due to concerns over rising coronavirus cases across the country.

The Scottish Government says about 96% of businesses are trading again, but owners of play centres across the country feel they have been left behind.

A group - Save Scottish Indoor Play - has written to the first minister asking for financial support as long as the restrictions remain in place:

A petition calling for the Scottish Government to either allow the facilities to reopen, or provide extra help, has gathered about 5,000 signatures so far.

Among those backing the calls for a financial safety net is the Jones family, which owns Dizzy Rascals in Laurencekirk.

The family says it has invested heavily in safety measures including plastic screens and hand sanitisers, as well as emptying ball pits and buying new equipment.

However, with new restrictions limiting the numbers of households that can meet, attention has turned from securing a reopening date to the need for some form of income.

Lynn Jones said: "It will be unviable to open. Birthday parties are 60% of our income – and we can’t run birthdays but only allow six children or less.

"People come to soft play centres to socialise, to interact with other parents, for the children to get exercise and to meet other kids and they’re not allowed to do that now.

"Right now we need a grant that isn’t for all businesses, but for businesses who are still closed through no fault of their own because it’s mandatory that they stay closed.

"We had a £10,000 grant but it’s completely run out now on utilities and we still need to pay those bills.

"Now the furlough scheme is coming to an end, and with absolutely no cash flow, we are seriously worried about us and our staff.

"Rates for some centres in Scotland are now killing them completely, with no end in sight, and they’re paying rent for businesses they may never reopen."

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: "We have called on the UK Government to extend the schemes that they fund, like the job retention scheme which is particularly important for sectors like soft play and nightclubs who are still required to remain closed, and the economy secretary has once again written to the chancellor on the issue of furlough retention after raising it directly with UK Government business minister Nadhim Zahawi on a UK quad conference call earlier this week.

"We don’t want any businesses to remain closed, or open with restrictions in place, for a day longer than is necessary but public health is paramount.

"The indicative date for soft play centres re-opening is on October 5, subject to review on October 1. We are currently working with the soft play sector and other stakeholders to develop guidance for the re-opening of soft play centres.

"Throughout this unprecedented economic crisis we have listened to businesses and business organisations and acted quickly to offer support which now exceeds £2.3 billion.

"Scottish Government support for businesses includes almost £900 million of non-domestic rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses including soft play centres; and the small business grant fund and the retail, hospitality and leisure grant fund worth over £1bn.

"We also created hardship and resilience funds unique to Scotland, with a value of £185m targeted at support for SMEs and the self-employed."