The Mirage

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by The Mirage's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from The Mirage is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

1THE MIRAGE |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Owner and Director

RussellBolesworth

The Mirage, Mablethorpe,

Lincolnshire

Russell Bolesworth is the owner and director of The Mirage

Family Entertainment Centre in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire,

as well as Walton Pier in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex.

Born into the industry, Russell’s family acquired the then-

modest Mablethorpe arcade the year before his birth. Over the

years, it grew in size – after successfully operating it, his father

extended it twice by buying neighbouring properties in the

1980s and 1990s. Russell took over the business in 2008 and tells

TheParliamentary Review

about its journey over the past 11 years.

When I took over the business in 2008, I created my own company, RTB

Investments, to do so. Over the following few years, I expanded the business once

more by acquiring additional next-door premises – this time, however, one of the

properties was a massive unit that took our size up to almost 4,000 square metres.

To fully develop this site, we needed new investment; we received help from

the government by way of a regional growth fund grant, as we were proposing

a significant increase in full-time jobs for the local community. We actually

overdelivered on that commitment, and the size of our team skyrocketed from 15

to around 40 full-time employees.

Diversifying with additional revenue streams

I designed the site and layout of our newly acquired premises, looking at dozens

of family entertainment sites in the USA and Europe in the process. I identified a

FACTS ABOUT

THE MIRAGE

»Owner and Director:

RussellBolesworth

»Acquired by Russell in 2008,

bought by his father in 1977

»Based in Mablethorpe,

Lincolnshire, and Walton-on-

the-Naze, Essex

»Services: Family and adult

entertainment

»No. of employees: Around 40

»The Mirage’s massive expansion

in Mablethorpe from 2008

onward was driven by the

receipt of a regional growth

fund grant

The Mirage

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| THE MIRAGE

diverse mix of new revenue streams

that I felt would work in the UK –

especially when considering the size of

ourproperty.

After a few months of development,

my team and I had turned what was

essentially an old warehouse unit into

a modern, attractive FEC – complete

with full-size bowling lanes, a large

soft play area with a capacity of

over 100 people, a licensed cafe

and bar and a significantly larger

amusementarcade.

Over the last five years, since that

development, we have traded well

ahead of projections thanks to the hard

work of our team and our constant drive

to improve and invest. This has been the

case when it comes to both equipment

for the arcade floor itself as well as

customer experience; a great example of

this was the transition to ticket-in ticket-

out payout systems – known as TITO –

in our adult gaming centres.

This constant process of improvement

and investment ensures that we don’t

fall behind our competitors and keep

our loyal customer base happy.

Virtual reality and other new

entertainment offerings in the

sector

We expect VR technology to make

a splash in our industry soon; it’s

an exciting area brimming with

new content and, vitally, one that

has access to a customer base who

are willing to part with larger sums

ofmoney.

This, in turn, is making them financially

viable; this was not the case in the

1990s, however, which was the

last time VR technology became a

popularconcept.

The recent trend of “escape room”

openings and high-level rope courses

in some sites also indicate other areas

of growth to tap into.

This site has now been trading for

five years, and I am pleased to say we

have beaten our own expectations.

In the first few years, we traded

ahead of projections, but have been

brought back in line in recent years

by Brexit. We are nonetheless an

incredibly successful site and a success

story, thanks to bank lending and the

regional growth fund grant.

The main floor at The

Mirage

We have

traded well

ahead of

projections

thanks to the

hard work of

our team and

our constant

drive to

improve and

invest

“

3THE MIRAGE |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Changing the face of the

British seaside

Using our work in Mablethorpe as

a template, we are also trying to

improve our other site at Walton-on-

the-Naze in Essex; it is largely a similar

situation, located in a coastal area

with significant deprivation. In such a

case, once again, we desperately need

these regional growth fund grants,

or something similar, to address this

and make a significant difference to

thearea.

If I, and other entrepreneurs like

myself, had access to some kind of

funding programme, these kinds of

transformational projects could be

undertaken on a far more regular

basis. This would massively change

the shape of our struggling seaside

towns, many of which suffer from

high levels of unemployment, and

serve as a breath of new life for

the British coastal leisure industry.

I personally believe there should

be a permanent fund dedicated to

helping entrepreneurs for these vitally

important projects.

Money shouldn’t just be thrown

around without thought, obviously,

but if used properly these growth

funds can have a great, positive effect

on struggling areas. A dedicated

programme to this end would serve

as real encouragement for the

people who truly want to help their

strugglingcommunities.

Promoting business in

deprived areas

These projects were in part made viable

by way of the coalition government’s

reductions in corporation tax and

capital goods allowances that were

available in the early years of the

2010s. I feel these allowances should

be permanently available for businesses

in deprived areas to effectively promote

investment where it is most needed.

One factor that has been a definite

hindrance for development is the

significant and expensive business rates

tax; it has done nothing at all to boost

these deprived areas and takes a huge

sum out of our business’ cashflow

– money that could be spent on

improved facilities, which would lead,

in turn, to further employment.

This rates bill alone is around £70,000

at Mablethorpe and £40,000 at

Walton-on-the-Naze; we feel this is an

unfair tax that should be reconfigured

as soon as possible into something

that supports and rewards business for

creating employment in these deprived

areas. A partial rates relief over a five

to ten-year period for businesses that

have improved facilities or employment

in these areas would be a good

placeto start.

With 100 per cent rates relief in this

regard for a period of time, a lot

of funding could be subsequently

financed through banks. This could

then be tapered off over a following

ten-year period to make the difference

for many projects which would

not have previously been viable. A

programme like this could be not just

beneficial but rather revolutionary for

all of Britain’s deprived areas, let alone

its seaside towns.

There should be

a permanent

fund dedicated

to helping

entrepreneurs

for these vitally

important

projects

“

Our bowling alleys

This article was sponsored by The Mirage. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster