// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
Indoor soft play centres struggling to stay open
Jessica Harvey from Whitchurch said there were some days in the summer that no-one came to her centre
The owner of a soft play area in north Shropshire said it is in danger of closure as the hot summer has meant centres like hers have struggled to get people through the doors.
Jessica Harvey has run Funzone in Whitchurch for over a year, and said the industry is seasonal, with there being occasions when she was the only one at the centre all day.
"Over the summer, there has definitely been [times] where we probably had 10 to 15 people in all week, which just isn't sustainable", she said.
Funzone, which has existed as a soft play centre in Whitchurch for 17 years, was sold two years ago. But the company that bought it went into liquidation, meaning Harvey was able to buy the firm in October 2025.
She said her first hot summer has been extremely challenging.
"It has been a bit demoralising. We have tried so hard to bring things back, and obviously when you are investing heavily, but not only just investing, a lot of our time has gone into it too.
"I'm talking getting up at six o'clock in the morning, being there for four hours before opening, and then not leaving the place until 12 at night because you're painting or building."
Jessica Harvey took to Facebook by posting pictures of herself with signs to plead customers to come to her soft play area
Harvey added that she was able to make the money up by building a soft play trailer built for events, but said that with the weather getting colder, she would need people to start coming again.