AN indoor play area in Redditch has decided to offer free tickets to children and families who have struggled throughout the pandemic.

360 Play at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre has launched its Young Minds Campaign to support the mental health of young children ahead of its reopening.

Bosses say they want to help deserving families across the Redditch community who have had a difficult year and bring them together for a day of fun.

The amusement centre wants to also help children regain the confidence and social skills they have missed out on over the last year, and put a smile back on their faces.

It is set to reopen on Monday (May 17), when indoor entertainment venues are permitted to start up again as part of the latest lockdown easing.

The company will be gifting tickets every day for the first 30 days after opening to families. In order to hand these out, they are calling on Redditch residents to nominate someone who they feel has had a difficult time through the pandemic.

They can do this by filling out a nomination form via 360play.co.uk.

The company will then contact nominees directly to book their family day out.

360 Play says nominations could be given to people who have been isolated throughout the pandemic, to those who have lost jobs, to those who have been sick and lost family members or those who have struggled to cope and need a helping hand back to normality.

360 Play runs indoor play areas across the the country and and owner Duncan Phillips has pledged over £60,000 worth of tickets for children and families.

Lydia Goaley, team leader at 360 Play Redditch, told the Advertiser the campaign is very much about helping parents who have experienced a difficult year.

She said: "We have had a long time off and we want to put smiles back on everyone's faces.

"That's the hope of this campaign. It's for everyone who needs a bit of play."

"It's mental health awareness week. It shouldn't just be a week, it should be all year round. Especially after the year we have had."