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A NEW soft play centre has opened – and the first person to test it out was the deputy mayor.
Cllr Bill Soane was joined by Cllr Parry Batth on Saturday, May 18, at the opening of the facility which has been built in Loddon Valley Leisure Centre.
The purpose-built attraction offers tunnels and slides, sensory play and trampolines, plus a range of toys to play with.
The centre will be open within the Lower Earley complex seven days a week, with the option for parents to hire it out for parties at weekend teatimes.
Deputy mayor Cllr Bill Soane was delighted to be one of the first to use the new facility.
He said: “This is something that is a great asset to Loddon Valley and to Wokingham.
“We lost one of our soft play centres in Winnersh Triangle when Kids n’ Action closed. It’s always a shame to lose a business, but it’s nice that this has been made available.
“It’s a lovely facility and while we were there, there were a number of children enjoying themselves.
“This is just one of a number of improvements being made at Loddon Valley which, when finished, will make it a much better facility.
“I’m looking forward to going back and trying it out.”
Loddon Valley Leisure Centre’s general manager, Amy Cheale said, “Our soft play will be a fun and exciting indoor play area in Wokingham for all children, from newborn to aged 12.
“Whether you choose to book your little one’s party with us or you just want to get out of the house and let the kids burn off some energy in a safe environment.
“We are excited about our recent developments here at Loddon and are delighted to offer this new facility to our community as we aim to promote more active play for young people.”
“In addition to our soft play we will be having a refurbishment of the café area including new flooring and seating area.
“We will also be giving our front of house area a fresh new look.”
The soft play and refurbishment works are all part of a £2m investment programme.
This has included the creation of a brand-new group exercise studio with colour changing mood lighting to help set the atmosphere for new holistic classes and add energy during active fitness sessions.
The gym has also been extended and installed with the latest equipment. There is also a dedicated group cycling studio and sessions which enable participants to view their performance on a large screen and track their performance.
The soft play area is open seven days a week, from 9am to 7pm on weekdays, from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 9am-4pm on Sundays.
Cllr Bill Soane was elected as mayor of Wokingham Borough at a council meeting on Wednesday, May 22. He was deputy mayor at the time this article was written.
