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SPN AUG 2011 PlayEquipment
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
ABOVE: Pirate themed interactive play equipment installed by Hippo Leisure at Danes Camp leisure centre in Northampton
RIGHT: Concordia Leisure Centre – poolside play equipment designed and supplied to bring interactive play to the pool side. Hippo transformed an old planter island into a toddler play zone with themed water showers and interactive water channels
it’s a question of looking at the facilities they offer in pools and look at where they can make an investment. What we know is that toys in the pool will make a large impact on younger customers. It’s also true there is a therapeutic effect such toys can have and we certainly know of pools which use them as water therapy.” Claire’s advice to commercial pool managers is that they won’t have to spend tens of thousands of pounds to make a difference. “You don’t have to spend a fortune – that would be my message. You can buy a couple of smaller scale toys and fittings for under £1,000. Two of those and you can start to attract mums and kids. The toys are very bright and very vibrant and we know it works. Our equipment is well researched. Hippo Leisure goes to the people who matter when it comes to their consultants. They have Little Hippo advisors and mini consultants to test products and give feedback. For the eight years and upwards market then as
far as Hippo Leisure is concerned, things change. “For this age group toys tend to become thrill seeking and the kids don’t mind larger amounts of water. At this stage they are more confident in the water and play in deeper water but they want things to be more exciting. So it’s thrill seeking, flumes, racing flumes, rides and slides. When it come to this sort of equipment it’s important for pool managers to understand that we will work with them from the brief they give us.” Hippo Leisure is also constantly looking for new developments and ‘touch and feel’ interactive and sensory experiences will feature in coming product development.
Claire is convinced that investment by pool managers in to water toys and activities will bring financial returns.
“Pools need re-investment if they are to survive. It’s something they have to do to go on re- appealing to customers. It is short sighted of councils to withhold money and not invest in pools.
People won’t go and they will find somewhere else, somewhere better. Never has there been a more opportune time for leisure managers to stamp their personality on their jobs and in their local communities. More and more families are going back to swimming... it doesn’t break the bank, it’s a great day out and more over the children love it.” Loyal Grove Leisure LLP, part of the Country Leisure Group, has expanded its product range extensively over the years and are flume and water slide specialists with a worldwide clientele. Flumes have been a very popular feature in pools and leisure centres now for 20 years and Loyal Grove Leisure was founded in 1991 to meet this demand and has always offered an innovative approach to flume designs.
The business, based in Burntwood in Staffordshire, produces everything from aqua- slides to speed tubes to specialist rides and more interactive water play features.
Commercial pools and hotels feature heavily in
THIS & LEFT: Hippo Leisure has completed a number of phased installations. This one included a waterball, large tipping bucket, interactive water channels and most recently, new sensory play panels
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