A former Ninja Warrior UK contestant is the man behind a new family entertainment centre in Dundee.
Ali Hay – who appeared on several series of the ITV obstacle course challenge show – is converting the former Fun Factory soft play centre in Douglas into Funparx Dundee.
As previously revealed by The Courier, Funparx Dundee will have a host of activities including a ninja zone, huge slides, an airpark, a soft play area and a retro gaming arcade.
Ali is from the Borders but his parents hail from Dundee.
Ninja Warrior star reveals potential opening date for Funparx Dundee
He told The Courier: “I’m really excited about this project.
“I can now reveal that the centre will hopefully open at the end of the first week of April.
“We have had a few delays but we are nearly at the finishing line and we are keen to get it open for at least one week of the school Easter holidays.”
Ali, who is also behind plans for other Funparx across the UK, says he has been keen to open in Dundee for some time but only found a suitable venue recently.
He said: “I looked at this site about six years ago but only now has it become viable for me to completely refit and renovate the building for what I want.
“It’s getting a complete upgrade inside with state-of-the-art equipment that is entirely our own brand and made in our own factories, especially for us.
“This is a big investment for us but Dundee is very family orientated and we want to bring a whole new experience to the city.
“Glasgow and Edinburgh always seem to get so much and we wanted to bring something new and exciting to Dundee.”
Prices for Funparx Dundee
However, Ali says he is keen to avoid competing with other similar centres already operating out of Dundee by offering something different.
He said: “Our aim is to provide affordable family fun for people of all ages.
“We have an offer for the whole family with most sessions open to all.
“We will also have deals and some specific sessions for certain age groups.
“We understand that the cost of everything is through the roof so our goal is to keep things as affordable as possible.”
Prices for one-hour sessions will range from £5 to £9.99, and tickets will cover all areas of the centre.
He added: “We will be employing around 40 members of staff – full-time, flexible and part-time – and we are currently advertising for that.
“We will be giving full training and there’s lots of exciting opportunities for employees.”
Conversation