The owners of an indoor play centre have appealed to the Chancellor to come up with a rescue package in next week's budget to help their business survive.

Elizabeth and Andrew Moody, who own Adventure Kidz in Aylesford, have had zero income during the pandemic having been shut for almost a year due to three lockdowns.

While they welcomed Boris Johnson's roadmap towards easing restrictions as a positive step - with a potential reopening date of May 17, at the earliest - they remain concerned about how they are going to financially survive until May.

Mr Moody said: "We are looking at tens of thousands of pounds that are still going to need to be found between now and May unless the government are going to come up with another rescue package."

Help with VAT and business rates comes to an end on March 31 and furlough has not been extended for their sector.

And the current financial aid still does not "anywhere near" cover the company's outgoings, with debt being accrued because of lockdown.

"We get £3,000 a month - my rent is that per week," said Mr Moody. "So that just gives you an idea of how far adrift we are as a company on a monthly basis."

"In the last 12 months we have been operational for six weeks in total.

"We have always been the first sector to be put into lockdown and always the last sector to be taken out of lockdown."

The couple have been able to open for just six weeks since March, in September and October last year.

Their large premises on the Quarry Wood Industrial Estate means their overheads are substantial and they work on a very low profit margin.

Pre-Covid, their capacity was 480 people. Post Covid, with 2m social distancing, the rule of six, no more than two households mixing, the maximum number of people allowed dropped to 120.

Looking ahead to the budget, Mr Moody wants to see Chancellor Rishi Sunak extend business rates relief and keep the level of VAT at 5% for the leisure and hospitality industry.

But he warned: "We are going to need continuing support even when we are open. As soon as we're open we have to pay any deferred bills put in place during lockdown, such as deferred rent, suppliers.

"We need to make sure we still get support financially for a set period so we can get to paying our bills on a regular basis - and not over a long period of time."

He added: "We are asking for the government to dig that little bit deeper for the leisure and hospitality sector to make sure we can survive."

Mr Moody said it could take between 18 months and two years for people to build up the confidence to return to a venue like Adventure Kidz, as they may be hesitant about going to a busy environment, and he was certain they would see a drop in revenue.

While it has been tough for the couple, as well as their customers, some of whom had been "climbing the walls" at home, said Mrs Moody, they are confident people will return.

People have already been ringing up to see if they can book a birthday party, although it is still not possible to confirm any bookings.

They are working towards May 17 but know it could change.

The indoor play sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and many have gone out of business.

Mrs Moody, who said it had been heart-breaking to see companies fold, added: "We are one of the few that's left."

On reopening, she said: "It will be like starting again. It will be, yet again, another learning curve.

"We're excited but still cautious at the same time."

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