In the two years that Chelsey Sworn has owned Flip, the business has made major changes to the space in the hopes of meeting the needs of the community. Photo / Brodie Stone
In the two years that Chelsey Sworn has owned Flip, the business has made major changes to the space in the hopes of meeting the needs of the community. Photo / Brodie Stone
The owner of Whangārei indoor activity centre Flip says changes to the space have always been led by the community.
So it’s unsurprising the business was recognised by Tiaho Trust for its inclusive innovation.
The new $130,000 area for over-5s has been a hit with parents and children, accordingto director Chelsey Sworn.
But it’s the business’ quiet hours that attracted the praise of Tiaho Trust, which bestowed the honour of the inclusive innovation award during their 2025 Getting Out There expo.
Within the couple’s first year in the business, Sworn’s husband built the under-5s area after feedback from people requesting a safe space for their little ones.
And November brought the opening of the new ninja playground, also fitted with an indoor football field, slides, swings, a flying fox and more.
Adults and children over 5 can access the ninja playground at Flip. Photo / Brodie Stone
Sworn said there has been much more involvement from parents since the space opened as well.
Despite both playgrounds having a combined cost of about $180,000, they have only increased their prices once, in an effort to strike a balance between making ends meet and ensuring affordability.
“We didn’t do any price increases for this, it’s all included in the price. We’ve done one price increase since we purchased it in two years.”
Slides are among the features of the newest addition to Flip in Whangārei. Photo / Brodie Stone
But they were determined to carry out upgrades that would benefit customers.
“We knew when we purchased it, we had to make changes. We couldn’t keep it as just a trampoline park.”
That started with the under-5s playground, which was gated off and safe for little ones.
“ ... We created that, and we thought, ‘Okay, that’s not as bad as we thought it would be’, because we are amateurs, and I mean absolute amateurs.”
A large indoor playground area for children over 5 and adults opened in November. Photo / Brodie Stone
The dodgeball court wasn’t being used, so they decided to get the ball rolling on the new space.
“It opened at 9.30 on the Saturday, the 15th of November, and we were still finishing cleaning out. It was like an episode of The Block.
“We’re getting a lot more parent involvement. If [children] under 5 and they want to come in, we just say that the parent has to come with them.”
Tiaho Trust chief executive Jonny Wilkinson said Flip received the award because the business had demonstrated what true inclusion looked like when operators were willing to listen and adapt.
“This recognition is important because it shows that inclusivity is not just a ‘nice to have’,” he said.
The region had the potential to become far more accessible facility-wise as well.
“If we can make our region accessible, we can be a desirable destination,” he said.
“It changes the narrative from disabled people being a burden to being a regional economic imperative.”
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
