Shropshire Star

Telford's first trampoline park counting down to opening date

It has taken nine years to get to this point, but Telford's first trampoline park is nearly complete.

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Dean McGuire and Alicia McGuire outside Airea 51

Owner Dean McGuire first thought about opening a similar venue nearly a decade ago, but couldn't get any backing because people thought it was such an unusual idea.

Today trampoline parks are becoming the latest thing, with similar places opening in a number of locations, including Wolverhampton.

His vision, Airea 51, will combine a trampoline park with other activities, including a parkour course and a dodge ball pitch.

"Things are progressing very well, we're a little bit behind schedule," Dean said. "We were expecting to open September 28, but it's been moved to October 5.

"We expect it to be completed finished in about a week. The wood frames are going in, walls are going up – you blink your eye and something has changed."

Dean said he returned to the idea around 18 months ago.

"I came up with this idea about nine years ago, a trampoline park mixed with a snowboarding facility," he said. "Nobody would lend me the money. It was an unheard of idea, there was nothing to benchmark it against. It was when the credit crunch hit, so I put it on the back burner. Over the last three years they've been coming up everywhere. About 18 months ago I got back on the bandwagon."

"A lot of properties had been taken, and landlords weren't as flexible in changing the use of buildings because they thought it was just a fad. Now it's proven it's not a fad, it's becoming the latest industry."

"I came across this site in Stafford Park, Telford and found it was perfect. The premises was completely suited and there was no other trampoline park in Telford.

"It's going to be a full entertainment facility for the family. In places we've been we've found there wasn't enough for the young ones. If I took my eldest and my two youngest, I was stuck in a canteen with nothing to do."

Activities at the facility will include fitness classes and autism sessions.

National chain Flip Out will also be bringing a new facility to Telford in the near future, at an as of yet unannounced location.