UK theme park expert issues plea over future of Wicksteed Park in Kettering
One of the world’s biggest roller coaster enthusiasts has issued a rallying call for people to help secure the future of Wicksteed Park.
Andy Hine, who was awarded the MBE for services to the tourism industry, is chairman of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, Europe's most popular coaster club.
The 1,000-strong club has been uniting roller coaster enthusiasts from all over the world for 38 years and is bringing more than 70 of its members to enjoy Wicksteed Park’s rides and attractions on Saturday (May 9).
Andy said increasing economic pressures and rising costs as well as families’ lower disposable income was threatening the future of the UK’s smaller, independent theme parks.
Calling on people to rally to support the park, he said: “Big, corporate theme parks don’t have the same heritage or soul as a smaller park like Wicksteed Park.
“People need to get out and support their local theme park when and where they can as no-one knows what the future holds.
“Only the strong will survive, which is why it is important for people to visit Wicksteed Park as many times as they can as you never know when it might not be there anymore, and that would be a tragedy for a place that holds so many fantastic memories for generations of people.
“We are encouraging our members to do their bit to help and the outpouring of love for Wicksteed Park during the recent centenary celebrations for the water chute shows just how much the place means to people.”
Wicksteed Park maintains free access to its green spaces at a cost of more than £1million per year and it has played a massive contribution to the lives of generations of people from across the country.
Wicksteed Charitable Trust, the charity which owns the park, is raising money to help maintain it and you can get further information and donate by going to www.wicksteedpark.org/about-wicksteed-park
The park’s rides and attractions are now open every weekend, bank holiday and school holiday until the end of September.
For May half-term, the park will be open 10.30am to 5pm from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, May 31.
After listening to feedback from visitors, the price of on-day wristbands purchased at the park has been reduced from £25 to £22 to match the online purchase price.
Children under 0.9m can experience the joy of Wicksteed Park for free with an accompanying paying adult.
The park has been praised for providing an enjoyable and memorable family day out in an assessment by national tourist board VisitEngland.
Awarding the Kettering park a score of 84 per cent, VisitEngland said the attraction remains ‘a well-established and much-loved visitor attraction, offering an excellent balance of traditional family entertainment, expansive green space and historical significance’.
The park is hosting several family-friendly events this month.
On Saturday, May 16 the Woof Wag Festival will provide something for all age groups and a wide range of activities for dogs and humans.
On Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 join the Wicksteed Model Boat Club for scale-model sailing at Model Boat Mayhem, the country’s largest outdoor model boat show.
And on May 30 and 31, the Midlands Festival of Nature is Kettering Nature Group’s flagship event, a free family-friendly weekend celebrating the natural world.