The government dealt an indoor play centre in Harrogate a devastating blow in its coronavirus update today.
Kidzplay Harrogate has kept a keen eye on the lockdown easing throughout hoping for the green light.
Owner Lisa Mee has been putting on the pressure and even attended a demonstration in London yesterday alongside others in the industry.
However, this morning Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that while most industries can now open indoor play centres and night clubs cannot.
Lisa Mee told The Stray Ferret that it was “devastating” to hear that she cannot reopen and questioned the logic behind the decision.
“I think, based on the conversations I’ve had with others in the industry, it’s the end of indoor play. If we were in Scotland, Wales or Ireland we would be able to open. I don’t understand the logic.”
The Stray Ferret has approached government press offices and Andrew Jones MP to ask about extra support for Kidzplay Harrogate but had no reply.
Kidzplay Harrogate will have to close without a government u-turn.
The owner of a Harrogate indoor play centre has demanded the government gives her business the green light to reopen.
Lisa Mee runs Kidzplay Harrogate, which has been closed since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.
She has made every effort to make her play centre safe for children to return but indoor play centres are one of a few industries in England still closed.
Today is the 120 day point since the closure. To mark the occasion Lisa travelled down to Westminster to demonstrate and to Downing Street to hand in a petition.
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Nearly 20,000 people have signed the “Rescue Indoor Play” petition which claims that the government has overlooked children in its decisions.
Standing just outside Downing Street Lisa Mee told The Stray Ferret:
“Children between one and five years old are low risk when it comes to coronavirus. But when we keep them in isolation they are high risk for social and emotional development. A one-year-old came to the centre recently. They have spent half of their life with their parents and nobody else and they really struggled meeting other people, I fear for their future.”
Today is the 120 day point since the closure.
Lisa Mee also fears for the future of her business. With no concrete date of when she can reopen Kidzplay she could potentially have to pay some big bills going forward.
She managed to get a government loan but with the furlough scheme coming to an end she faces a £30,000 bill for her 30 staff. Without further help, Lisa may need to make some tough decisions.