Don’t Forget Children and Families on VAT decision

Maria Cantarella CEO, Association of Indoor Play

“Investing in children’s play is an investment in healthier children, stronger families and more resilient local communities.”

Earlier this year, the Association of Indoor Play (AIP) launched a national campaign calling on the UK Government to permanently introduce 0% VAT on children’s indoor play admissions. The campaign followed Andy Burnham’s announcement of a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues. While welcoming support for the wider leisure and hospitality sector, we don’t want children and families to be forgotten, with indoor play centres facing some of the highest fixed operating costs in the industry due to large premises, significant business rates liabilities and ongoing energy costs.

Indoor play centres provide safe, year-round spaces where millions of children play, exercise, learn and socialise every year. Yet despite their contribution to children’s physical health, mental wellbeing and development, the sector has received little targeted support compared with other parts of the leisure economy.

If pubs deserve support because they are community assets, then surely the places where our children play, exercise, learn and develop deserve support too. Indoor play centres operate from large buildings, making business rates one of our biggest overheads, while energy costs remain exceptionally high because of the size of our venues. Despite delivering enormous benefits for children’s physical health, mental wellbeing and social development, our sector has been largely overlooked. The Government has already recognised the importance of children’s play through its temporary reduction in VAT from 20% to 5% this summer. We believe the next step should be to permanently remove VAT from children’s indoor play, making active play more affordable for families and recognising the vital role our sector plays in building healthier communities.

We believe a permanent 0% VAT rate would: Make active play more affordable for families. Encourage more children to be physically active. Improve access for lower-income households. Support community leisure businesses across the UK. Reinforce the Government’s commitment to prevention and children’s wellbeing.

The campaign builds on the sector’s support for the Government’s Great British Summer Savings initiative, with hundreds of AIP member centres offering discounted admissions, family ticket deals, meal offers and seasonal promotions throughout the summer holidays to help families enjoy affordable days out together.

We are calling on politicians from all parties to recognise that investing in children’s play is an investment in healthier children, stronger families and more resilient local communities.