Little Newark, located in the former Teenie Town or Robin Hood Walk, Newark is at risk of closing down due to lack of customers and high living costs

Children’s play centre owners sold their own car as business is at risk of closing doors.

Little Newark, located in the former Teenie Town or Robin Hood Walk, Newark first opened in the first week of June.

Owner Francesca Nolan opened a second business following the success of her first, Little Lincoln, which opened last October.

Opened for less than six months, the business is lacking customers which has impacted directly on its finances.

When Little Newark first opened, curiosity ruled over Newark and it was constantly busy. However, over the past two months, the business owner admitted to being lucky to have two or three customers per session.

The lack of customers reflects a struggle to cover staff wages and bills.

The owner said: “Unfortunately at this moment in time, we are unable to take a wage from the business and still have our mortgage to buy and family to support.

“Selling our car and getting something cheaper will help with our bills.”

Initially, the business owner planned to change certain aspects of the play area and cafe and create an area dedicated to babies and toddlers, which swapped priorities with keeping the doors open.

“We were so incredibly lucky to be given the opportunity to take over what was originally Teenie Town, especially considering we had only just opened Little Lincoln months prior and had invested everything into that.

“We had heard so many wonderful things from our customers in Lincoln about this place and were informed that if it wasn’t going to be taken over by ourselves, it would likely become a shop or another business, which we believed would be a massive loss to Newark.

“It is a worrying thought and something that I hope won’t happen any time soon but I am at the point that if I don’t do something soon then that is what we will end up facing in the future,” said Francesca about closing Little Newark.”

Francesa is hoping for people to spread the word about the children’s play centre so they can reach more and new customers.