00:00Hi, I'm Gavin Waller. I'm director of WONDA World of Imagination in Ferrum.
00:05Tell me a little bit more about WONDA and what you do.
00:09So WONDA is a roleplay village.
00:12We've tried to create a concept that adds to what a normal conventional roleplay village would be.
00:19So we've introduced things, airport, an airplane, we've introduced space station, a theatre.
00:25So we've moved, we include the conventional concepts such as fire station and cafe, but we have added those little bits and pieces.
00:35It's for not six-year-olds primarily, but we go to eight-year-olds.
00:40After that, we ask them that they kindly just sit and observe or supervise.
00:45It's a two-hour session in Ferrum and the children can come with their families, their carers, their aunts, their uncles, their grandparents and have a two-hour fun session.
00:54So tell me how people can attend. Do they have to book beforehand or can you turn up?
01:00We recommend booking just in case it avoids any disappointment if we're at capacity.
01:05So you can do that online easily if you go to www.wonder-imagination.co.uk
01:11and you can go on there, simple and easy to book a session at your convenience and you can see our availability.
01:16You can just turn up and book as, again, if we're at capacity, then obviously we can't let you in.
01:23So we do recommend booking online.
01:25So tell me what the reaction's been like here in Ferrum.
01:28Yeah, incredible. We're very fast approaching our one-year anniversary on the 21st of September.
01:34We will be having a big party to celebrate.
01:36Ferrum have been brilliant. Ferrum Borough Council have worked alongside us to offer much-needed family entertainment and family attractions.
01:44We like to think we've added to that and the feedback has been phenomenal.
01:49We are hoping to launch Upstairs later on this year as community and event space, which we're really excited about.
01:58And, yeah, we just hope that we can grow our fair and customer base now and introduce some exciting events in the very near future.
02:08Now, I understand you had a site over in Haven. You had a leaving party. How did that all go and everything?
02:12Yeah, the leaving party was amazing. The week leading up to our last day was tinder with sadness, obviously,
02:21but it was a great legacy that we've left there in terms of some of the feedback that we had from customers.
02:28We're really sorry to leave Haven. We did everything we possibly could, but we now focus on Ferrum, growing Ferrum,
02:36opening Upstairs and introducing lots of fun and exciting events in the lead up to Christmas.
02:41So, we're obviously in the middle of summer holidays. Tell me how it's going and how Wanda is, you know, making people's days even more special.
02:50Yeah, thank you. Yeah. So, summer holidays we're really looking forward to.
02:54It's obviously been tough because of the good weather since mid-March, so we welcome the school holidays.
03:00We are very busy. We do still have availability, so I encourage everyone to book and come along and see what we do.
03:06But we're very excited about school holidays and then into what is a very busy period with Halloween, October, half-term and then Christmas.
03:14Yeah, so we're delighted this year, early part of this year, to introduce our new Wanda Tots, which is a baby and parent group.
03:25And we're looking to grow that later on in the year.
03:28Another thing we're really proud of is we've been working with Sen Mums from primarily Portsmouth, but Ferrum also,
03:36in trying to introduce their group. Many parents feel isolated at this time of year in the summer holiday,
03:43so it's really important that they have somewhere safe that they can come.
03:46So, we introduce that throughout the summer holidays, one session a week for Sen Mums to come
03:51and hopefully have some relaxing time and enjoy the space with the children, something we're really proud of.
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