Rotherham’s Gulliver’s Valley theme park is open for guests


The new multimillion-pound Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park in Rotherham has opened its doors to the public for the first time. Yorkshire fundraising stars, nine-year-old


Captain Tobias Weller and eight-year-old Lennie Street, both students at Paces – a leading specialist centre for children with Cerebral Palsy and other motor disorders – officially opened the park on 11 July, which becomes the fourth site in the Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts family. The park was forced to


postpone its planned opening earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. A number of additional safety measures have since been made to the park in response to the pandemic, including temperature checks on arrival, mandatory advanced booking, contactless entry, social distancing measures and a food pre-ordering system. All guests over the age of three will be


with pre-booked slots only, to adhere to the Government’s social distancing guidelines. Julie Dalton, Managing Director of the family-


‘It is so exciting to


finally be open and welcoming


families into the park’


run Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, said: “It is so exciting to finally be open and welcoming families into the park. “We have worked so hard to bring our vision of Gulliver’s Valley to life and to create a truly magical experience for our guests. The pandemic has thrown challenges our way that we didn’t imagine we’d ever have to deal with, but I am so proud of our team for carrying on to make this park a reality.” Aimed at children between


the ages of two and 13-years-old, the new Gulliver’s Valley houses more than 30 rides and attractions, including an Apache Falls ride, full-size


required to wear face coverings on rides and the park will also be operating on a limited capacity,


diggers, the Ghostly Galleon pirate ship and a Lost Jurassic World area. Accommodation options are also available, The Leader of Rotherham Council, Councillor Chris Read, said: “The site at Pit House West for


too long stood vacant, so it is brilliant to see the fabulous Gulliver’s Valley project realised in bricks and mortar, jobs and opportunities. It is an exciting development which will attract many thousands of visitors to our borough and is an exemplar of the kind of business that we would want our area to be known for. “The park will also be a catalyst for economic


growth and I particularly welcome Julie Dalton’s commitment to use local suppliers and staff. It’s a great example of the kind of local economic project, maximising social value for our area, that we want to see more of.” Sheffield City Region provided £1.5m of


funding towards the Gulliver’s Valley project. Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region,


said: “I’m pleased to have been able to support Gulliver’s Valley through the coronavirus pandemic. Gulliver’s Valley will bring more jobs and boost our regional economy and will also become an important part of Rotherham and South Yorkshire’s tourist offer.” Tickets must be purchased in advance, walk


ins will not be granted entry to the park. Visit: www.gulliversvalleyresort.co.uk


Covid-19 emergency fund reaches milestone


Community groups on the front line of the Covid- 19 pandemic in South Yorkshire have received over £750,000 in funding support from local charity, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF). 176 community groups and charities have so far


benefitted from the Covid-19 Response Fund set up in response to the ongoing pandemic. This is the latest crisis fund set up by SYCF in recent months, following the South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Appeal launched in November 2019 in response to the flooding to parts of the region, which raised over £1.2m to help affected households. Groups have received funding to cover the cost


of emergency and essential supplies for those most in need across South Yorkshire during lockdown. This has ranged from essential food parcels and prescriptions pick up and delivery to phone and online befriending services, as well as activity packs for those in isolation. Mike Sawkins from Cavendish Cancer Care said: “This is fantastic news, thank you so much! I can


cash-in-hand job just before the lockdown. Muhafiz Ramadhan food packs will at least see us through the Ramadhan month with basic essentials. We really appreciate the kindness from all those involved.” The funding has been raised in partnership with


assure you, this will make a real difference to the lives of families facing all the uncertainty, anxiety and disruption caused by cancer, on top of the uncertainty, anxiety and disruption caused by Covid-19 and social distancing.” Rotherham Muslim Community Forum also


received funding support for volunteers to deliver weekly Ramadhan food parcels to families. One recipient said: “My family have been living in temporary accommodation miles away from any cultural places such as halal stores. I also lost my


the National Emergencies Trust (NET) Coronavirus Appeal and, thanks to the generosity of local donors, £1.1m has been raised in total so far, with more regularly being distributed by the South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation team. Chief Executive of SYCF, Ruth E Willis said: “We


have always been amazed by the positive impact local community groups and charities have in South Yorkshire. The funding, which we are still distributing has been a lifeline for these organisations and has enabled them to support those affected by this crisis most. The Covid-19 Response Fund is still open and we are continuing to encourage groups to apply for funding support.”


To apply for funding visit: www.sycf.org.uk/apply Summer 2020 CHAMBERconnect 29


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