Smooga, the Oxfordshire business behind the latest playground initiative to encourage increased participation in sports, has expanded with the recruitment of two employees and new offices at Witney Business & Innovation Centre. A smooga is a portable multi use games area.
The recruitment of Perry Leigh as business development manager and Samantha Garrett as office manager increases the team to four and comes after a period of significant growth with Smooga turnover more than trebling in just its second year of trading.
The company is forecasting further significant growth in 2014/15 of over 50% and since October 2014, the beginning of Smooga’s trading year, has already seen revenue nudging ahead of forecasts with enquiry levels higher than predicted for the first quarter.
Smooga Ltd. was founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Keith and Carolyn Place, who successfully transformed their idea of creating a ‘smart portable multi-use games arena’ known as a smooga, into a viable business proposition, and is a finalist for the third consecutive year in the West Oxfordshire Business Awards.
Co-founder Keith Place comments: “The business is entering an exciting period of growth as our smooga’s are rapidly spreading across the UK. With both Perry and Sam’s support, I am sure we will exceed our 2014/2015 targets in addition to implementing events across the country to help teachers encourage students to become more active at break times and in lessons.”
Smooga has gained support from Prime Minister David Cameron for its initiative to encourage increased participation in sports across the UK in line with the Government’s Move More Live More campaign following a Smooga Futsal event at Tower Hill School in Witney earlier this year involving Oxford United.
The company has also just launched its inaugural Smooga Cup, a mixed hockey competition, with the Marish Academy Trust in Slough and is preparing to roll-out the tournament nationally in 2015/2016. A number of games can be played inside a smooga, including hockey, cricket, handball and touch rugby. The portable arena is designed to make PE, play and sport more accessible whilst helping to avoid conflict in the playground.
