Nerf attraction staff told they won't get paid work for FIVE MONTHS as bosses splurge £1.5m on Play-Doh

Staff have been told the attraction will be closed for five months as a huge £1.5m expansion is undertaken

Staff members at a popular family attraction in Trafford have claimed they were told by email that they would have no paid work for five months amid preparations for a new expansion.

The Nerf Action XPerience has been closed at the Trafford Palazzo since March, with bosses previously stating the reason for its closure was due to a number of technical reasons.

First opened in September 2023, the 35,000 sq ft attraction, which is based on the Nerf toy gun franchise from Hasbro, features a range of sports-themed activities including target practice and battleground arenas.

Staff at the venue, who have spoken to the Manchester Evening News on the condition of anonymity, said they were informed in March that there will be ‘no employment hours available’ for up to five months as the attraction undergoes ‘extensive’ renovations to expand its offering.

In an email sent to staff, and seen by the M.E.N, bosses said they will be reducing the size of the Nerf Action Xperience offering at the site and adding in a new Play-Doh experience in a bid to attract a wider audience.

Venue owners Rocafella Leisure Group have today (April 25) said the new attraction, which will be the first of its kind in the UK, will see a further £1.5m invested into the site and create up to 40 job roles.

It said the revamping of the site was decided having 'worked hard to make Nerf Action Xperience a commercially viable site' over the last 18 months, but the ‘business in its current format has proven too difficult due to a number of factors with rising costs'.

One staff member told the M.E.N: "They said they would support us with finding new jobs, but many of us have not really had any communication with them since that email was sent. Thankfully, most of us have been able to find new jobs now, but it was really difficult for a lot of us in terms of finances.”

Rocafella said it has already supported ‘several’ team members, who are on zero hour contracts, in securing new roles and is open to assisting any employees who are still looking for job roles.

A spokesperson for the company said: “As part of this transition, we had to make the difficult decision to inform staff that there would be no working hours available during the construction period, which is expected to last five months. We have already supported several team members in securing new roles across the North West and remain committed to helping anyone else who needs assistance.”

Rocafella Leisure Group said it was also ‘keeping roles open’ and was happy to ‘welcome our team members back once the site reopens later this year’.

Staff have also spoken about how their final monthly pay date, due on April 15, was also late by two days, meaning staff members had further difficulty with paying bills in time. “It really messed with some people’s direct debits,” one staff member explained. “It caused a bit of an uproar amongst us all.”

Rocafella has apologised for the late payment of staff wages, and said it had occurred ‘due to factors beyond our control’ and staff have now been paid for hours worked.

Christopher Hayes, Managing Director at Rocafella Leisure Group, said: “The UK leisure industry is a challenging market right now, with rising costs placing significant pressure on the sector — further compounded by recent changes to the UK Government’s budget, which have offered little support.

“Over the past 18 months, we’ve worked tirelessly, and it’s become clear that pivoting the business is essential for its long-term success.

“We’re passionate about bringing fresh innovation to the UK leisure market and remain strategically committed to the future of the business. Whilst we’ve encountered a bump in the road, our resilience and determination are driving us forward — and we’re excited to deliver strong growth and create new jobs for the local North West community.”