AN Award-winning Cwmbran children’s play centre has reopened just weeks after announcing their heart breaking closure.
Treats N Play, based in The Parade, is owned by Jemma Cantelo and her younger sister Georgia, who acts as manager.
The sisters took over the originally dilapidated, abandoned building in 2022 after it had stood empty for eight years, and transformed it into a delightful children's play centre and role play village.
Earlier this month the business announced that after working "tirelessly" to keep the shop afloat, the constant rising costs caused the much-loved small business to permanently close on Saturday, April 6.
In a statement, Jemma said she believed small businesses get “left in the dust while the bigger get bigger” as she thanked her customers for their “constant support."
At the time Jemma and Georgia’s mum Cheryl Hanks told the Argus her daughters have “put so much into business over the past two years.”
News of Treats N Play’s devastating closure rocked the community prompting parents who’s children use the service to set up a petition that collected over 500 signatures.
Treats N Play reopened their doors on Monday, April 22, with a refurbished kitchen in a bid to offer a wider variety of meals.
Jemma told the Argus she is “stronger than ever and hopes the support from their lovely families will get Treats N Play thriving again.”
Jemma said: “It was a very tough upsetting time for me and quite frankly the hardest few weeks of my life. I felt deflated exhausted and beaten.
“I am back to full health, and I'm trying again. I’m reopening Treats N Play to make what I love doing work.
“I've had so much support from the parents, including a petition that the mums set up to keep Treats N Play open that have had over 500 signatures. It's made me feel stronger than ever as I can see just how many little ones loved it.
“There's no support money side of things (to be expected) but we are putting in everything we have, getting the kitchen extended to enable us to offer a wider variety of meals, and coming up with some new ideas for the business.
“Nothing that's worth having comes easy right.
“I'm feeling stronger than ever and hoping the support from our lovely families will get Treats N Play thriving again.”
Treats N Play has enjoyed a wealth of success in the past coming in second place for Best Children’s Entertainment at the Best of Wales Business Finals in March 2024. In November 2023, the play centre won High Street Business of the Year at the South Wales Argus Business Awards
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