Popular family adventure centre marks one year in business with fun-filled birthday celebrations for all the family

High Rise is run by local charity Employers For Childcare, with 100 per cent of the profits from the centre invested in the charity.

The family adventure centre based at Altona Road, Lisburn, which is renowned for its inclusivity and accessibility, is celebrating the first anniversary of its reopening. The centre, which was closed for over two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, reopened last summer, and has become a leading family adventure centre in Northern Ireland, welcoming thousands of excited guests for Clip ‘n Climb, soft play and sensory room fun.

We spoke to Employers For Childcare Chief Executive Marie Marin, who has been the inspiration behind High Rise and the driving force in its development, and asked about the secret to the centre’s success.

​

When asked how much thought has gone into the inclusivity of High Rise, Marie explains: “We put so much thought into planning every aspect of High Rise to ensure that it really meets the needs of our guests.

"We are very proud that High Rise is inclusive and accessible for all guests – we have two state of the art sensory rooms, which are particularly beneficial for guests with additional needs (both children and adults). We employ our own sensory assistant to work with and support guests, and we have regular autism friendly sessions for Clip ‘n Climb and soft play. We have also been awarded the Autism NI Impact Award in recognition of how we support guests with autism, and we have invested in a Changing Places toilet. Changing Places toilets are larger than standard disabled toilets, with extra features and more space.

"It was so important to us in designing the centre that it would be inclusive and accessible for everyone, whatever their needs – we wanted High Rise to be somewhere where families of children with additional needs could come together to enjoy days out and leisure time, and that’s why we have invested in the Changing Places toilet, the sensory rooms and in our own in house sensory assistant to support our guests.”

Expanding on how it felt to receive the prestigious Autism NI Impact Award in recognition of the way the team supports their guests with autism and their families, Marie explains: “We were just thrilled.

"It means a lot to us that the effort we have put in to create an inclusive venue has been recognised through the award – this has been very much a team effort and I’d like to thank my fantastic colleagues for everything they have done to help us secure the award, and also to our wonderful guests for their support.

"I’d say the secret to our success in the year since we reopened is our exceptional staff team and the investment we’ve made in them - that really shines through. The feedback we receive from guests in relation to the warm welcome they receive and how well they are looked after has been phenomenal, and we have really seen evidence of this through the large number of repeat visits we receive.

"Over the past year High Rise has welcomed almost 20,000 guests through the doors, which has enabled our Family Benefits Advice Service to help thousands of parents to identify the financial support they are entitled to, leaving them significantly better off.

“So as well as offering fun activities, every single visit to High Rise helps us to continue the work of our charity, which is needed now more than ever. We are proud to be a Social Enterprise and we’d love to encourage anyone planning a family day out or a meet up with friends this summer to consider ‘buying social’ and visiting High Rise.”

Bringing it back to the first birthday celebrations, Marie adds; “We are so excited for our first birthday celebrations this weekend and look forward to welcoming all our guests to enjoy everything that’s going on in the centre.

“We advise anyone coming along to our first birthday celebrations this weekend to pre-book their Clip ‘n Climb, soft play or sensory room sessions online as walk-in availability is likely to be limited.

“The work of our charity team is needed now more than ever as families continue to face the challenges of the ongoing cost of living crisis.

"Last year, our charity directly helped more than 10,000 people. Parents who received a personal benefits check from us identified an average of almost £5,000 in financial support so collectively we helped families save more than £11.6 million. This is money back in the pockets of hard-pressed families locally and across the UK. Every guest who visits High Rise this summer will help us to continue this vital work so we say a huge thank you to all our guests for their ongoing support.”

The big High Rise first birthday party takes place on Saturday July 1, from 12 noon to 4pm and will feature activities for all ages.

The Q Radio Roadshow, featuring host Connor Brennan will be there providing music and entertainment and there’ll be climbing competitions, face-painting, prizes and giveaways, food promotions and samples as well as themed sensory storytelling sessions.

Booking ahead of the event on July 1 is recommended to avoid disappointment. For more information or to book visit the High Rise website www.highriseni.org.