Association of Indoor Play driving for new members - read the latest news from the AIP

Child playing with building bricks

This is a guest article from the AIP.

The Association of Indoor Play has made great strides since being founded by a number of the leading operators in the industry. With more than 200 members already on board, the association, chaired by Janice Dunphy of Web Adventure Park in York, has been working relentlessly to bring the industry together and represent its voice to government in its hours of greatest need.

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on operators around Great Britain, some of whom have been unable to open their doors since last March and many who have been able to open for short periods, but now once again find themselves unable to trade. As a relatively new industry, the indoor-play sector has never before faced such challenges and rather than continuing to battle on as individual businesses, the AIP believes there is great strength in a united front.

Its members-only Facebook presence is proving an extremely useful forum for operators to share experiences, frustrations and problems. A series of zoom meetings have also been set up for members, both as an opportunity to share in person and also to bring in experts in areas such as landlord/tenant relationships, HR and insolvency.

Morton Michel’s Indoor Play News has reported on the first few months of the AIP here and here and we’ll continue to keep you up-to-date in the next few months.

The association says there has never been a more important time to be part of something that protects your industry’s interests. Click here for details on AIP membership, which costs just £150 for single-site operators of any size.

One person who has done that is Richard Oates, owner of The Play Farm in Cheltenham. He said: "The membership fee is money well spent, even in these troubled times where every penny counts. Most importantly, the managing committee's interests are very closely aligned with my own. These are owners of similar businesses, fighting the same fires I am. There can be no questioning the commitment to the cause, and this shines through in all of the actions they take.  In addition, the team has done a great job in establishing a direct line of communication with government bodies at the front line of decision making."

The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Morton Michel.