The little girl who stole the hearts of an entire city will officially open Derby’s newest family entertainment centre.
Five-year-old Audrina Hatton-Wright was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in June 2018. She has spent the past 18 months undergoing intensive treatment for the disease, which affects just one in 10 million people.
In the summer, Audrina was welcomed into the Derby County changing rooms by manager Frank Lampard as his special guest and infamously started the ‘bounce’ on the Pride Park pitch.
On Sunday, December 1, Audrina will cut the ribbon at Injoy Centre Derby; the city’s brand-new £1.7m family activity centre. They will be joined by the Mayor of Derby, councillor Frank Harwood, and a host of other familiar faces.
Offering climbing walls, soft play and a cutting-edge interactive room where children can bring their creations to life on the walls around them, Injoy provides a host of fun activities for every member of the family under one roof.
The three-storey soft play area, in the Riverside Complex, off the Morledge, is among the largest in the UK, second only to Injoy’s sister branch in Southampton. While the climbing zone, run by trained instructors, features challenges for both children and adults, including a 6m-high vertical slide and a Stairway to Heaven climb.
The centre opened earlier this month (November) but gets its official launch on December 1.
Richard Chandler, Manager of Injoy Centre Derby, said: “We have received so many positive comments since we opened our doors and are looking forward to welcoming guests for our official launch.
“Injoy has something for every member of the family, with a range of activities suitable for babies, teenagers, students and adults all under one roof.
“The interactive room has to be seen to be believed; it mesmerises children and adults alike. It’s fantastic for children with special educational needs or those who benefit from sensory stimulation and it brings out the child in every visitor.
“We have taken the original concept for a soft play centre and taken it to another level with a genuine emphasis on quality, creating an environment the whole family can enjoy together.”
A great deal of thought has gone into every element of Injoy; they don’t use single-use plastic, every conceivable obstacle has padding around it to protect young visitors and they have thought about the adults just as much as the children, with an excellent range of food and drink available as well. Free wifi is also available.
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Their showstopper, though, is the interactive room – an innovative and immersive experience which allows visitors to dig for digital creatures in kinetic sand, kick footballs at passing spaceships and watch their own artwork spring to life.
There are dedicated rooms for art workshops and cookery classes, three party rooms for birthdays and group celebrations, as well as the opportunity for children to makes their own pizzas at specially designed low-level counters in the restaurant area.
The 20,000 sq ft centre also has a lift, pram storage and free lockers for coats and shoes, while the 30 new members of staff are all trained in first aid.
Next year Laser Tag will be introduced into the centre and an outside terrace overlooking the river Derwent will be created in time for the summer months.
There are a variety of packages available depending on chosen activities and the number and ages of participating children, starting at £3 for two hours soft play for a child aged under three.
