Celebrating a birthday in lockdown in Kent including bouncy castle hire and personalised sleepovers
Thousands of children have been forced to spend their birthdays in lockdown since restrictions were imposed in March.
But toned-down celebrations have also had huge consequences for companies across the county which provide party entertainment. We speak to some of those affected by the coronavirus outbreak including those now gradually reopening as restrictions are eased.
Children's entertainer Denise Pettitt, also known as Mrs Back to Front, had just launched a new venture offering Nerf Gun parties when lockdown was imposed.
The 66-year-old from Dartford had set up the new party business with her daughter, also an entertainer, and was already taking bookings for both birthday parties and corporate events.
The grandmother, who also runs mini digger parties with her husband in which families can hire small machines for parties at home, had to cancel a number of fresh bookings they'd taken for Easter and beyond.
But concerned that children across the county would suddenly be left disappointed with a birthday indoors Denise promptly got back into her Mrs Back to Front costume and began filming personalised videos from home.
Complete with special effects, lots of entertainment and even a guide to doing magic tricks for older children, she has been filming dedications that are either sent to families directly or posted to YouTube.
She said: "As soon as it all happened I did think of all those poor children who can't have birthday parties. Initially I did it for the ones I had parties booked for. But then I did a little facebook offer and they they just kept coming in."
Denise hasn't asked for any money for the Mrs Back to Front messages and is also hopeful that further into the year if restrictions are eased further that digger hire or nerf gun events, where children already wear full eye and face protection, could resume with social distancing and fewer youngsters.
Actress Nikki Bond runs My Sleepover Party from her home using her artistic talents to create unique children's sleepover parties.
Appreciating that after more than seven weeks at home, families may be desperate for new ways to keep the kids occupied, Nikki from Chatham reopened bookings offering a non-contact delivery service with families required to set-up by themselves.
She said the package could be used for both a birthday celebration for those children within the household or even a movie night if families are in need of something fun for their kids to do as a break from the norm.
The DIY sleepover package comes with instructions for setting up the wigwams Nikki hires and by teaming up with other suppliers she is also able to bring balloons, a cake or other personalised items to the door.
Every item is both cleaned and steamed in between and three to four days is also left between bookings, made via the facebook page - www.facebook.com/Sleepoverpartykent - to ensure any risk of spreading the virus has diminished.
She said: "What I am getting has been bookings for two children, siblings at home together.
"It can be something nice for them to come down to. It's really important to celebrate as best we all can."
Whilst Boris Johnson's latest announcements haven't enabled all firms to resume trading, some are using it as an opportunity to make their unique party businesses bigger and better.
Sean and Zoe Potter own Jurassic George - described as Kent’s only realistic animatronic T-Rex dinosaur.
Available to hire for birthday parties, corporate events, educational school visits, walkabouts and product launches, the husband and wife pair are using it as a chance to build on their hugely popular business.
Sean said: "Under the current government restrictions, we have sadly had to cancel numerous events much to the disappointment of our dino rangers, clients and of course Jurassic George.
"We have taken this time to make new and more exciting prehistoric props, so watch this space."
Despite no performances at present, Jurassic George is still open for business taking both inquiries and bookings from people using the time to organise future celebrations or reschedule events, all via its website jurassic-george-dinosaur-hire.co.uk
For the county's bouncy castle hire firms, April to September is often their busiest period as better weather enables families to host children's parties at home and Kent's thousands of school fetes and village fairs get underway.
Despite big gatherings still being some considerable way off, some hire firms are edging back into business, allowing families to rent bouncy castles, inflatables or other soft play equipment to enjoy at home.
Cheeky Charlie's Soft Play, based in Greenhithe, has been operating for the last seven years and delivers across vast swathes of north Kent.
The firm has recently re-started private hire, offering a contactless service to customers' gardens providing there is side access to enable staff to operate safely and within the guidelines.
All equipment is sanitised and a number of days left between bookings to prevent any transmission of coronavirus. Inquiries can be made via the website www.cheekycharliessoftplay.co.uk
Michael Hutchinson, together with wife Claire, runs inflatable and soft play hire company Claire's Inflatables, delivering their 25 inflatables across Kent.
Amongst the items families can rent are castles, soft play equipment, sensory domes and disco domes complete with flashing lights and speakers for music using a bluetooth connection.
They too have reopened for private hire, with a stringent set of instructions for everyone's safety.
Inflatables are sanitised and thoroughly disinfected both once set up in a garden and again when taken down, families are required to provide either outdoor power or extension leads, pay by a contactless method, offer rear or side access to the garden and remain indoors during set up, whilst all equipment is quarantined for five days before it can be hired by the next customer.
More information about the agreement families will be required to sign up to, and the inflatables for hire, can be found via www.clairesinflatablehire.com
The dad from Sittingbourne, who says rental is purely for those living within the same home, has already taken a number of bookings since deciding to reopen, which he did after consultation with both MPs and Trading Standards.
He said: "We are not a massive business. We do rely on April to September. We do still trade in the other months but it's not the same.
"We are not encouraging gatherings or socialising. We are trying to encourage families that we can have fun staying indoors."
For more family-related news and events visit www.mykentfamily.co.uk
