Tim Worboys has turned his childhood hobby of kicking a football against the wall (aka wally) into WallJAM, an innovative rebound wall that gives children and adults the chance to test their skills on a host of interactive games and sports.

Following design support from the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), the former chartered surveyor's invention will star in a five-year global tour that will take the world-famous team's brand to 15 cities across the world, in a stunning pavilion that has been designed to replicate a mini Bernabeu Stadium.

‘The World of Football Skills Arena', which is currently at the Melbourne Museum Plaza in Australia, has chosen WallJAM to give fans a truly interactive physical experience and the opportunity to pit their skills directly against football heroes like Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Isco.

Participants will be able to play in a bank of one of five zones and the fully immersive experience will allow them to set their own personal best score, compete against other players and see how they compare against the first team stars.

"It has been a long six years developing the idea into the fantastic product that it is now and this latest deal with Real Madrid really announces us on the global stage," explained Tim.

"They are arguably the greatest brand in world football and have more than 600 million fans worldwide so for them to invest in our technology tells me that we are doing something right. It comes on the back of a really busy period, with WallJAM also used at Wimbledon as a way of encouraging spectator engagement."

He continued: "The business model has lots of different elements. You can buy one of the walls, you can lease one and we are now starting to look at franchise agreements, so we can develop lots of local WallJAM centres.

"Turnover could treble over the next 12 months to over £500,000 and there's lot of exciting opportunities to introduce new sports and games."

The Manufacturing Growth Programme, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions (EGS), has played a key role in the company's recent success, supporting Tim and his team in selecting the right materials for the wall panels, which need to be lightweight, robust and able to accommodate the sensors.

Working with retail print production specialist Jupiter VC, MGP were also able to support the design of a modular fixed panel system, that can be affixed to its existing structure using a frame and clasp system.

This ensures LED strip lights are fixed appropriately boosting ‘look and feel' and, importantly, WallJAM can be transported to different venues more easily.

Tim concluded: "MGP came in and talked to us about our business and where we wanted to grow and immediately put us in touch with Jupiter VC, who have been brilliant. The grant isn't massive, but it is easy to apply for and has made a significant difference to our ability to transport and sell WallJAM."

The Manufacturing Growth Programme provides manufacturers with access to specialist assistance to help them grow and improve.

Support can be used for improvement projects, such as leadership and management, R&D, lean manufacturing, productivity and capacity, quality systems and supply chain development.

For further information, please visit www.walljam.com [1]
For more details on MGP, visit www.manufacturinggrowthprogramme.co.uk [2]