A TIMPERLEY entrepreneur has created the UK’s largest adult ball pool experience.

Andrew Woodrow, aged 24, set up Ball Mania in April 2016 with the aim to transport adults back to their childhood.

The ball pits can accommodate up to 40 adults and can range from 100,000 to 500,000 balls for use at festivals, weddings, team building and promotional events.

Andrew came up with the idea after noticing a craze in play activities aimed at adults.

He then applied for a £25,000 loan from Business Finance Solutions (BFS), the North West delivery partner of the government’s national £310m Start Up Loans programme and a lending partner of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. And after being granted the loan, he set up Ball Mania.

Andrew said: “Over the past few years we’ve seen a real increase in social play activities specifically aimed at adults. With the loan from BFS we were able to tap into that trend, buying the equipment we needed and getting Ball Mania up and running and on the road to showcase it to a range of audiences. We already have the largest ball pits in the UK and our plan now is to build the business into the market leading ball pit experience in Europe.”

Andrew’s business has since expanded and now employs seven people and is working with a wide range of clients including Cambridge University and premium FMCG brands.

Earlier this year, Andrew partnered with student travel business Invasion Group to fill their Manchester office with over quarter of a million balls as a reward for their staff.

Roger Seddon, head of lending at BFS, said: “Andrew has used his loan to create a truly stand out and innovative business that has already amassed an impressive roster of corporate clients and events.

"Like many of our Start Up Loan clients Andrew is using skills he honed in his previous career, such as sales, customer service and website development, to build and grow a great business that has huge potential to grow and create jobs in the future.”

Over the next five years, Andrew wants to continue to grow his business and will focus on developing additional partnerships, delivering bespoke events and developing a dedicated corporate installation division for clients in the UK and Europe.