NIO Minister Fleur Anderson MP visits Employers For Childcare and High Rise

Employers For Childcare was pleased to welcome Fleur Anderson MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office to visit High Rise, its fun-filled family adventure centre in Lisburn. High Rise, which has been designed to be inclusive and accessible, including for guests with additional needs, is a Social Enterprise business which donates all its profits to supporting the work of its parent charity, Employers For Childcare.

During her visit, the Minister met the charity’s Chief Executive, Marie Marin, and toured the centre, viewing the impressive Clip ‘n Climb indoor climbing arena with its Vertical Drop Slide and Leap of Faith, soft play area, sensory and meeting rooms and café. She learned more about the work of Employers For Childcare, which supports parents to get into and stay in work and which, since 2008, has identified more than £100 million in financial support for families.

Speaking after the visit, Minister Anderson said:

“It was a pleasure to visit High Rise and see the fantastic work that Employers For Childcare have done to create a great space for all to enjoy.

“I am grateful to Employers For Childcare for the  constructive discussion around how the UK Government can provide support to help people balance their childcare commitments with their careers and I look forward to seeing more of their great work.”

Welcoming Minister Anderson to High Rise, Employers For Childcare’s Chief Executive Marie Marin said: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Anderson to High Rise on her second visit, and for the first time in her role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. She had the opportunity to see everything that’s on offer within the centre, and see lots of families enjoying activities on one of the busiest days of the summer holidays. We very much welcome the Minister’s interest in the work of our charity, which is only made possible by guests choosing to ‘buy social’ and visit High Rise. This enables us to continue the important work we have been doing on behalf of parents for over 20 years, helping them to be better off. We’d encourage anyone planning a family day out this summer to consider High Rise – every single visit allows us to help more families.”

High Rise is open Thursday-Sunday for Clip ‘n Climb, soft play, sensory rooms and parties – guests are advised to pre-book online at www.highriseni.org.