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A FAMILY-FOCUSED theme park will reopen in the UK this year, but with new owners and new rides.

Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, is set to reopen later this year.

Mellors Group, which has a number of other UK attractions including Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells and Skegness Pier, has bought the theme park.

The Group has announced its plans for the park, including adding new rides and attractions this year.

The park will remain focused on younger families, especially with children under 12 years old, but will also create new experiences that appeal to all ages.

The Group has said that the new attractions will be revealed in due course.

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James Mellors, managing director of Mellors Group, said: “Lightwater Valley is a park with real heart, history, personality, and potential, and it’s a place our own family has loved since childhood.

“Our goal is simple: to put the park back ‘on the map’ as a major theme park, by introducing new rides, injecting new energy, and creating something truly special for families for many years to come.”

He added: “We’re very excited about this acquisition and looking forward to planning a wide range of new attractions for 2026; fresh, fun, and full of excitement.

“While Lightwater Valley will continue to be a haven for younger families, we’re also widening the experience so that guests of all ages can enjoy the thrills, charm, and adventure together.

“The team here have done a brilliant job, and we’re looking forward to working closely with them as we begin this new journey.”

The Mellors Group bought the park after it was put up for sale in October for £3million.

The theme park first opened back in 1969 and today is home to more than 35 rides and attractions.

The park also hosts seasonal events and entertainment for families.

At one point, the park was home to the world’s longest rollercoaster which stretched 2,268 metres.

It held the title from 1991 to 2000 before a ride in Japan called Steel Dragon overtook it.

The ride went on to operate until 2019 and featured tunnels and bunny hops.

Current attractions in the park include a water flume, drop tower and caterpillar-themed rollercoaster.

There’s food and drink spots in the park as well.

Tickets to the park cost £26.50 per person over the height of 90cm.

In other theme park news, here are five brand new theme park lands opening this year – from Frozen kingdoms to Pokemon resorts.

Plus, love nighttime spectacular shows at Disneyland? A top UK theme park is bringing its own version to Britain.

For over a month, schools in Vikindwe, a locality 10 kilometres from Musienene in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been closed due to the activities of the Wazalendo militia group. The primary schools in Vikindwe and Vuketi, along with the Viseya Institute, have been particularly affected by this educational disruption.

According to Kakule Syanghuswa Arsen, the headmaster of Vikindwe Primary School, events began to escalate in February this year when members of the Wazalendo militia assaulted a student from the school. This incident created tension between the militia and the local community. Following this, there were death threats directed at specific individuals in the area, as well as sporadic gunfire during school hours, severely disrupting the teaching and learning process.

Since October, the situation has become so tense that some students have experienced convulsions. The headmaster has now urged the authorities in the education sector to intervene with the provincial governor, hoping to have the Wazalendo militia removed from Vikindwe to restore normalcy.

In a related development, the resumption of classes in Njiapanda, as requested by the sub-provincial education committee, has been relatively cautious. This tentative return to classes comes three weeks after classes were suspended at the request of civil society organisations in Manguredjipa.

On  Monday, Dec. 15, only a few students were present in several schools in the area. In Kambau, Mbunia Kisenge, the headmaster of a secondary school, reported that no students were attending school. He attributed this situation to the concerns and fears of parents regarding the security situation within the Bapakombe tribal group, which has been marked by repeated attacks on the population by fighters from the Union of Patriots for the Liberation of Congo (UPLC).

In Njiapanda, some schools located in the centre of town have cautiously resumed operations. However, schools on the outskirts have reported a high rate of student absences, even though several teachers are present in the classrooms. Only the final year students are attending school.

Militia members associated with the Wazalendo are frequently accused of various abuses against civilians in Musienene and Baszagha. The main complaints from the people include looting, rape, arbitrary arrests, illegal tax collection, and the establishment of unauthorised roadblocks.

On Nov. 12, a young student was killed by gunshots during clashes between two factions of the Wazalendo militia at the Musimba market. Although these groups are considered allies of the Congolese army in its fight against Rwandan aggression, particularly in the conflict with the M23/AFC rebels, they are frequently accused of serious human rights abuses. Because they operate without proper oversight and often follow distinct commands, they frequently evade the attention of local authorities.