Play centre takes off
Meet Violaine Roberts, who launched Flying Fortress, a multi award-winning family fun centre
Violaine Roberts runs the Flying Fortress, a family entertainment centre based on an old airfield near Arundel in West Sussex. It opened in March 2005 and has already become one of the leading visitor attractions in the South East.
“I knew a play centre big enough for adults and children was required and I was determined to create one whatever it took.”
The inspiration
Violaine came up with the idea when her four lively children had nothing to do in the school holidays. She'd always wanted to run a business and saw the potential to set up a children's play centre.
Getting started
"Getting The Flying Fortress off the ground was a real struggle. I had to battle against male decision makers to prove my idea would work. When I heard the old airfield site was available, the estate agent wouldn’t put me in touch with the landlord at first as he didn't believe I was serious." Then Violaine was refused planning permission. “I won my appeal by thinking outside the box. I demonstrated the need for the centre by taking a load of kids with me to the Council Chambers and a nine-year old boy persuaded them to go ahead!"
Violaine had no business training and was only working part-time, but she found she had a natural instinct for business. “The hardest thing has been managing staff and getting a good team together." Over the years she has found assistance from Business Link very helpful as she has become established.
"It's incredibly rewarding when people thank you for what a good job you have done and you think: yes, I did!"
Achieving a work life balance has been a struggle with four kids and a husband to look after and a business open seven days a week, 363 days a year. Violaine has since learnt that she needs a strong team around her to manage the company in her absence during busy times at weekends and in the school holidays.
Violaine's hard work and determination paid off. Today The Flying Fortress employs 16 people and has an annual turnover of £583,000.
Violaine's top tips
- Believe in yourself
If you have an idea and are 110% sure it will work, don't give up at the first hurdle. I had the belief that I understood what children and adults wanted in the area and that I could do something about it - Keep thinking of new ideas for the business
We introduced a giant sandpit in the summer to compete with our major competitor - the beach - and we're now planning corporate team-building activities
Violaine and her team at The Flying Fortress haven't just been getting the thumbs up from visiting children; they've also won numerous awards, including 'Most Promising New Business 2005' and 'Best Small Business 2006' in the Littlehampton and Bognor Regis Business Partnership Awards and 'Entrepreneur of the Year 2006' for the South East region in the British Chamber of Commerce Awards.
