Funzone at Hillsborough

[spotty dog 10]

This is a good post, what the **** is wrong with a bit of dirt, I can't begin to describe the condiitions I grew up in in the 1950s, but still hanging on:gag:

 

No need for the language ... Masked or not... No one is saying dirt is a bad thing.what we are trying to say is there is a time for dirt & a time not for it!

I expect dirt in a garden...at the park..etc.... However you do not expect dirt on children's play equipment....

I'm not even going to argue on this because your causing arguments again.

I will reserve judgement on this place until I visit again on Wednesday.

[girly girl 10]

think kids have fun in any playcenter to be honest

[The Manager 12]

put me off when i found out its also a meeting place where social workers take kids to meet dads or moms for contact for a hour or two:(

[kel-lou 10]

put me off when i found out its also a meeting place where social workers take kids to meet dads or moms for contact for a hour or two

 

 

I've heard that before but is it actually true?

 

 

 

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[LuvMidwifery 10]

Hi all, I haven't been on in a few weeks so a few posts to reply to today so here goes!!

 

The baby area has had some changes, repairs and re-coverings. With regard to lot's of foam shapes in an under 4's area, we feel it is safer for the children and gives them the ability to be creative and inventive in building and exploring without coming to any harm - they seem to enjoy it!

 

The ball pool was removed a very long time ago - those of you who are really up on hygiene should know that is the best thing to do as they can be cleaned at 9am and soiled by the first child that walks in at opening time! I know some miss the ball pools as do I but we try and keep everyone happy.

 

LM Flooring did do the floors and I would also like to commend them on a very professional job with a good end product too, thank you.

 

Some of you really have a hang up on the ceiling in the toilets - it's clean it doesn't need to be new, you only go in there to pee!! There is always soap in the toilets and as for watering down the solution, these are cartridges that we put in so this isn't possible. With regard to toilets not being flushed we cannot follow everyone into the toilet to do this for them - this is something that happens in most play centres as children taken themselves off to the toilet without telling their parents. We do however do random checks throughout the day and address these issues as we find them.

 

We have a zero tolerance level for violence, bad behaviour and bad language from both children and adults, and have barred customers in the past from the centre for these very reasons. A lot of what is said on this forum happens everywhere you go, parks, pubs, play centres, nurseries, schools, it's everywhere. The difference is how these issues are dealt with at the individual venues and how they are received by customers. I'm sure if you had one incident at school you wouldn't remove your child from the school? If you do happen to come to the centre and experience an aggressive child or adult we ask that our staff be informed so that they can deal with it - if we don't know about it or see it, we cannot address it.

 

After speaking with many customers both old and new, and with my own personal thoughts and feelings (being a mum of 3 myself) we decided to concentrate on the areas people most wanted us to, these being the cafe and play areas. The cafe is completely new and looks fantastic - many positive comments have been received with no negative ones at all. Some of the play areas have been revamped or repaired - and are certainly very clean!! The children love playing no matter where they are though we will still continue to improve the play areas over the coming months.

 

We have had amazing comments regarding our parties with 10/10 giving either very good or excellent for their overall experience.

 

The last comment I would like to address is the one regarding contact visits. I feel very sad that people can be so cruel. Play centres up and down the country are used for contact visits as are the parks in the summer and we are no different and to be honest I don't want to be. I am surprised that people are so judgemental, just because children are in foster care does not mean that they are bad children or that their parents don't deserve contact with them. There are many reasons children are taken into care and I actually applaud those parents who try to change for the sake of their children ...... people make mistakes, it's what you do to rectify them that counts!

 

I hope this has cleared some issues up and that no offence is taken by anyone.

 

Those of you wanting to try our centre, we have Baby & Toddler Sessions on a Tuesday and Friday morning from 09:30, and also Rhythm 'n' Rhyme Sing & SIgn Sessions on Monday from 12:30. There is no extra cost for these sessions. We hope to welcome some of you with a view to changing your mind on the centre.

[A.B.Yaffle 24]

We used to take our (now 5-yr-old) boy to Funzone a couple of times a week since he was a baby. We only go in occasionally now as we no longer live in Sheffield. Whenever we go in we get welcomed by the staff who have enjoyed watching our little boy grow up from a baby. I remember how pleased they were the first time we told them that he had managed to walk there!

 

We enjoyed the "localness" of Funzone, lots of people live in the surrounding area and don't need to add £s to the cost by catching buses or trams.

 

We also liked the fact that LuvMidwifery took an interest in the children, and used to do the Tuesday music sessions personally. (Although our little boy used to pretend to be scared of her, until he decided to chase her around the centre.)

 

Regarding dirty socks, our little boy gets filthy socks whenever he goes to any soft play centre. Its part of being a child playing. I think a lot of you probably make your children live in the bath!

 

I have had a few criticisms of Funzone in the past, but the owner has always responded positively to any complaints. I have witnessed people being told to leave when they have been violent towards other children.

 

If I still lived at Hillsborough I would far prefer to use a local playcentre than to drive or use public transport to get to another one.

 

A lot of the recent over-criticism is extremely exaggerated and uncalled for. We have been in a few times over the last few months.

 

Why not just attend another play centre if you don't like a particular one? Why do you have to try to put others off going?

 

Also, I agree with LuvMidwifery about contact visits. I don't understand what reason anyone would have for wanting her to exclude parents who are making an effort to spend time with their children? What makes you think that these parents are any nastier than you? Do you really not want parents to have contact with their children?

[chickywiggle 10]

don't so much think people have an issue with mums/ dads and 'contact' time so much as the fact there are working social workers in the building who can 'spy' on parents.

[A.B.Yaffle 24]

don't so much think people have an issue with mums/ dads and 'contact' time so much as the fact there are working social workers in the building who can 'spy' on parents.

 

I bet police officers sometimes take their children to soft play centres. Some social workers probably take their's as well. I hope there are no MI5 agents who live in Sheffield and dare to enter soft play centres with their children!

 

If The Manager is not doing anything wrong, why should he be scared of "working social workers" any more than anyone else using the centre? Should teachers be banned as well as social workers? What about doctors, nurses, and midwives? If so, my wife and I should both be banned!

[Event Horizo 10]

Went there the other day. Friendly staff, nice coffee whist my son ran his socks off with all the other kids.

[999tigger 10]

put me off when i found out its also a meeting place where social workers take kids to meet dads or moms for contact for a hour or two:(

 

 

Why on earth would this put you off? Terrible snobbery.

[Hots on 10]

think kids have fun in any playcenter to be honest

 

Profound. Thanks for that.

 

Girly girls next post was an ad in the for sale section of the forum.

[The Manager 12]

Why on earth would this put you off? Terrible snobbery.

 

Its not being a snob at all ! its my opinion as a parent , im not against it however Theres a number of reasons why a Parent can only see there kid/s in contact places id just like to know what the reasons was ? has one of the parents been Taking drugs or a alco or something. i just dont agree with it. if anyone else wants to take there kids there thats really up to them .