Archive for category: Basildon

Our Parent and Toddler events were successful across all centres this year and we all enjoyed every second of each event.

These events are a great way for new and expecting parents to come and browse various stalls ranging from toddler classes, family photography, handmade gifts and SO much more. Each event also includes free entry to the centre so that new guests could experience all the amazing facilities we have to offer here at 360 Play for the first time, including taster sessions to our NEW Music and Movement and Sensory Play classes.

If you are interested in holding a stall at our next event then please contact your local centre (or, if you are interested in holding a stall at our next event then please book your stall HERE) , booking for customers will be available nearer to the time.

Event dates:

January 10th

April 24th

September 11th

See you next year!

The 16th annual 5K run/1-mile walk benefits Give Kids The World

As the sun rose on Thursday, Nov. 17, attractions professionals from around the world began affixing their race numbers and stretching their legs in anticipation of the 16th Annual IAAPA Footprints From the Heart 5K Run/1-Mile Walk Benefitting Give Kids The World Village.

Held on-site at Give Kids The World Village, the event attracted individual IAAPA Expo attendees, as well as groups of employees from exhibiting companies.

Sophie Masse, marketing specialist at Falcon’s Creative Group, attended the run with several of her colleagues. “At Falcon’s, we’ve been doing the race here every single year for a very long time, so it’s a cause that’s close to our hearts,” she shares. “This is my second year personally doing it, and last year we had such a fun time … it’s just great to get together with your coworkers to do it and help motivate yourself.”

The event drew in many international participants as well, with 35 individuals from the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA) opting to run. Duncan Phillips, United Kingdom-based theme park and family entertainment center (FEC) operator and chairman of BALPPA, detailed his long relationship with Footprints From the Heart.

 Duncan Phillips 360 Play MD

“I came here ten or eleven years ago, saying, ‘Well, I’ve never run in my life, but I’m just going to run it,’ and I’ve not missed one since,” he reflects. “I just think [Give Kids The World] is an amazing organization, and for me, it rounds off what we do in the industry. It puts a smile on everyone’s faces, and nobody needs it more than those here.”

Give Kids The World provides cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families. The week-long vacation includes visits to beloved Orlando area attractions and theme parks.

Before the start of the race, 2022 IAAPA Chairman of the Board, Ken Whiting, welcomed the crowd and thanked sponsors for supporting the event. Pamela Landwirth, president and CEO of Give Kids The World, also took the stage.

“I know you’re getting ready to walk the show floor. From what I understand, that’s 11 miles, so this is going to seem like a piece of cake for you this morning,” she joked. Landwirth then took a more sentimental turn, noting the impact that the attractions industry has had on the Village. “And when you look at the Village, every single inch of this village has been touched by IAAPA, a member, a partner, a manufacturer, a supplier. We couldn’t have this incredible village without all of you.”

After the speech concluded, IAAPA Expo attendees took off running with their attractions industry family—kicking off a new day of IAAPA Expo on a joyful and charitable note.

A leading entertainment group, with play centres across the UK, has launched a new corporate rewards scheme this month due to increasing requests from local employers, looking for unique family friendly benefits to provide to their staff. 

360 Play is primarily an activity and entertainment complex for children aged 0-12 years old. Historically, the business would offer bespoke solutions to companies, but this has now been formalised into an exclusive offering of discounted tickets and passes for employers, as demand for family-focused benefits continues to grow. 

Recent statistics from the ONS (Office of National Statistics) suggest that 67% of UK employees are looking to their employers to offer a solution to improve their work/life balance, whilst 77% say that the most important thing to them post-pandemic is spending time with their families.

There have been concerns raised about the lack of social interaction that children growing up during coronavirus lockdowns experienced and this is one potential explanation for the recent shift in values that companies like 360 Play have seen amongst visiting parents.  

As a result, many companies are now looking for innovative ways to offer incentives and corporate benefits packages that go beyond the member of staff, but also fulfil this increasingly common desire to strive towards benefits that will impact wider families as well. 

Founder and managing director of 360 Play, Duncan Phillips, says, “We have all come to realise just how important in-person contact is for the well-being of children and parents in recent times. At 360 Play, we strongly believe in the value of settings where people can meet up, learn and rediscover the joys of playing together in person. 

This latest initiative is our way of connecting work with play, allowing local employers to attend our centres with their teams and their families to reconnect, or just have a bit of a thank you from the boss. The visitors we welcome as part of workplace trips and rewards often give glowing feedback on the experience, as do the employers, who find this encourages workforces to remain connected, focused and feeling like a valued member of the company.” 

For more information on Corporate Away Play, visit our employers page