Jackaboos, the indoor play centre in Farsley, has signed a new lease at Sunny Bank Mills which means the popular children’s facility will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the mill complex.
Jackaboos was founded by Angie Walker and has been based in the historic Old Combing building at Sunny Bank since 2006. Angie said:
“The play centre opened in 2006 and we have gone from strength to strength, surviving both the financial crisis of 2008 and the Covid pandemic.”
She explained she was first attracted to Sunny Bank Mills because she wanted to be based in a central location within an area of Leeds that had a great village feel about it. She recalled:
“Whilst the unit in the Old Combing was totally stripped bare, I loved the high ceilings, open space and natural light that flowed into it. It was ideal for what I was planning. I still feel the same now, which is why I’ve committed my future to the mill.
“Sunny Bank Mills has changed over the years since I arrived, as it was once focused on cloth production, with just a couple of tenants. It is now so different with a wide variety of businesses and services and is a thriving community, recreational, cultural and social hub for Farsley and beyond.
“Landlords John and William Gaunt, whilst being commercially focused, have high integrity and values that they apply to everything they do. They have a strong vision and focus for Sunny Bank Mills and deliver this in their sensitive renovations and choice of tenants on site.
“Meanwhile, since 2006, Jackaboos has hosted thousands of birthday parties for children of the area and we’ve even had some of them come and work for us who remember having their birthday parties with us when they were little.
“We are going from strength to strength, remaining a place for little ones to play, learn and celebrate their birthdays, whilst enjoying themselves in a safe environment. They will make new friends and childhood memories that will last for all of their lives.”
John Gaunt, joint managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, the owners of Sunny Bank Mills, with his cousin William, commented:
“Thousands of Farsley children and parents have been through Jackaboos’ doors since the play centre opened in 2006. We have been through a lot together, as Sunny Bank has been transformed from a traditional worsted mill into a creative centre for business, leisure, arts and the community.
“Jackaboos is one of our oldest and most loyal tenants and we have weathered recessions and floods and survived a global pandemic together. So it
’sgives us great pleasure to renew their lease at the Old Combing, demonstrating the strength of our long-term relationships with local businesses.”