Aiming to be a space that inspires and motivates people of all ages and abilities to be active and ambitious, the new 1,850m² purpose-built centre in the heart of the borough’s town centre will house an array of climbing facilities that give everyone the chance to safely push their limits, try something new, and most importantly, have a bit of fun while doing it.
Set to be one of the most exciting facilities of its kind in Greater Manchester, Summit Up will be accessible for all the family – from complete novices, right through to seasoned climbers.
Climbing enthusiasts, schools, youth groups, corporate businesses, and more can get involved.
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When it comes to the facilities on offer at the new Oldham centre, the star of the show will undoubtedly be the ‘Clip ‘n Climb’ – a “fun climbing” concept that Summit Up wants to bring to the local community.
Designed by Entre-prises UK – the sole supplier of climbing walls for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – the unique Clip ‘n Climb concept is on offer at several outdoor activity centres all across the globe, but the Clip ‘n Climb at Summit Up in Oldham will actually be one of the highest and largest in the UK.
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This means that visitors will be able to experience world-class walls as climbed by some of the best competitive climbers on earth.
Summit Up will be accessible for all the family, from complete novices, right through seasoned climbers / Credit: Summit Up
Clip ‘n Climb Oldham will feature 25 challenges, including the adrenaline-pumping ‘Leap of Faith’, the popular ‘Stairway to Heaven’, and a thrilling 10-metre ‘Vertical Drop Slide’, as well as two ValoClimb walls – which use world-first interactive gaming technology and are designed to boost fitness while offering a challenging alternative to traditional climbing.
Summit Up arrives in Oldham ready to capture the excitement and enthusiasm that’s in the air after Sport Climbing was featured in the Olympic Games for the first time ever at Tokyo 2020, with all three Olympic disciplines of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing on offer at the new centre.
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It will be the only centre in Greater Manchester with an official speed climbing facility too.
And if all of that wasn’t as exciting enough as it is, the centre will also have a soft play area, dedicated party rooms, retail merchandise, and a ‘South Ridge’ cafe to stop off at for some well-deserved refreshments after a day of climbing.
Summit Up’s arrival in Oldham wouldn’t be possible without the help of The Stoller Charitable Trust – which is funding the building of the centre to “leave a lasting legacy” for the next generation of the Oldham community.
The centre will also have a soft play area, dedicated party rooms, and a ‘South Ridge’ cafe / Credit: Summit Up
Oldham-born businessman Sir Norman Stoller founded the Trust in the 1980’s, and has since gone on to donate millions of pounds to worthy causes – particularly supporting disadvantaged children from the Oldham area.
“Climbing is very popular at present and we expect to attract up to 90,000 visitors a year,” explained Stephen Lowe, Manager of The Stoller Charitable Trust.
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“The centre will be a huge boost to the area as all of the profits generated will be used for charitable causes that support the young people of Oldham.
“The purpose [of the Trust] has been to provide opportunities to raise aspirations, support Oldham’s young people to reach the height of their ability, and provide a helping hand when it is most needed.”
He added: “It is our hope that Summit Up will connect the community and create a lasting social venue in Oldham.”
Summit Up aims to be a space that inspires and motivates people of all ages and abilities to be active and ambitious / Credit: Summit Up
Summit Up is opening to the public on Saturday 18 September 2021.
The booking system is now live, so if you fancy being one of the first to experience Oldham’s new climbing centre and all it has to offer, head on over to the Summit Up website here to secure your slot.
The route for the 2027 Tour de France Femmes revealed ahead of Manchester debut
Danny Jones
The route for next year’s women’s historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to pass through Greater Manchester and more.
Yet another big coup for the region and our sporting scene.
Speaking with the City Council, now that the full route has been revealed, our very own Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway with our friends in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester.
Upon entering our neck of the woods, the course will pass through the likes of Rochdale and Oldham into Manchester city centre, before heading into Stockport and neighbouring North West county, Derbyshire, and finally heading back through the Peaks.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event’s breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of ‘The Big Loop’ in more detail below.
Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, went on to add: “Being able to watch the world’s best cyclists in action and in such an iconic event, taking place right here on our doorstep in the heart of Manchester next summer, is going to be epic on so many levels.
“Championing women and girls to participate in and enjoy sports – including cycling – at all levels from entry through to elite, is really important to us and next year’s Tour de France Femmes is set to play a huge part in helping inspire the next generation of sporting talent from our city.
“With millions of spectators expected to line the routes, including here in the city centre, we’ll be going all out to help ensure the event’s success with what is set to be a ‘Tour takeover’ of the city to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses to get involved, to grow their own sporting skills, and to take part in the many community activities being planned.”
Having hosted everything from the BRITs and the MOBO Awards to another Super League Grand Finals in both netball and rugby, not to mention numerous other huge events over the past couple of years, it truly is a great time to be living in Greater Manchester.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Manchester City Council)
Oldham
The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
Emily Sergeant -
6th September 2021 
