'Is Millbrook waterpark open?': 1,000+ people join group to keep track of repairs
More than 1,000 people have joined a Facebook group dedicated to keeping track of whether the problematic water play area at Coronation Park is open or not.
The group was started by the mum of two twins, Charlotte Shenkin, to help other parents avoid the disappointment of taking their children to Millbrook to discover the park was closed.
The water play area first opened in 2022 but has closed for repairs or maintenance work several times in recent months.
Most recently, the site was closed after a "lack of essential chemicals" on the hottest day of the year - which lead to protests online from parents.
Charlotte's group proved so popular, the group reached the milestone following within 24 hours of it being established.
She told ITV News: "I started the group after seeing people saying 'Wouldn’t it be great if there was an official updates page?' and since there isn’t one, I thought, well a community effort to share that information is the next best solution.
"It feels awful seeing excited young children stood at the gate, suddenly devastated when they can’t understand explanations of why they are now not going in the waterpark after all.
"I know other parents feel the same so I thought we could all work together on it."
Since opening the group, Charlotte said there has been a huge sense of community, with parents coming together to help spread information to prevent underwhelming visits.
However, she does understand that closures are to be expected, but wants to help parents prevent wasted trips.
She said: "I see some closures and faults at the waterpark as understandable and inevitable.
"I definitely intend it to be a group that’s about focusing on avoiding disappointment for families so we can make plans in advance."
The group now hosts more than 1,000 members on Facebook, which have been met with several comments from islanders who use the site.
One member said: "This is brilliant, but absolutely hilarious that it’s needed."
Others called it: "genius" and a "fantastic idea", while one parent called for a similar group to be set up for the fountains at Millenium Town Park in St Helier.
Jersey's government confirmed the water park will close again on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 July.
Officials say it is undergoing a deep clean ahead of the school holidays, but the closure also coincides with a teachers' strike likely to affect most of the island's primary schools.
Want to find out more about the stories making the headlines? Don't miss Channelcast - the Channel Islands current affairs podcast brought to you by ITV News: