New business like child’s play for couple
A HUSBAND and wife team have launched a £100,000 children’s indoor play centre in Prescot, Lancashire, creating 10 new jobs.
Mark and Gillian Baldwin have opened SpaceWorld, an 8,000 sq ft attraction on Prescot Business Park that features a sports area, play equipment, a go-carting facility and a catering area for parents.
Mrs Balwin has left her job as a beauty consultant to run the business, while her husband will continue with his job as a fire fighter for the time being.
The pair decided to make the plunge after successfully running a children’s bouncy castle business for the last five years.
Mrs Baldwin said: “Our aim is to create a friendly and fun-filled environment that can be enjoyed by all the family and we are delighted to have finally opened Spaceworld after many months hard work.
“Before opening we spoke with many families and groups who told us the area needed a venue like this where families can come together and have some fun. We are confident they will enjoy the centre.”
The company was able to open the centre after securing funding from The Royal Bank of Scotland through Government-backed Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme. Under the EFG scheme, the government will guarantee 75% of any loans made, with the bank covering the remaining 25%.
Dave Furnival, relationship manager for business and commercial Banking at RBS, said: “Gillian and Mark have put a great deal of time and effort into this venture. The thoroughness of their business plan and the research they carried out impressed us and we are happy to provide the funding for this project.”
