Crawley is set to become home to the largest Clip ‘n Climb centre in the UK, scheduled to open its doors in February 2024. The new facility, spanning 9,832 sq. ft, is conveniently located near Gatwick airport and will feature 33 climbing challenges, including 45 climbing lines, and will be the first to house the brand-new Velocity challenge. Velocity is a thrilling race against time using hex grips, providing a straightforward yet engaging speed test suitable for individuals of all ages and skill levels. In addition to the diverse climbing experiences, the centre will include a spacious soft play area, a café, and dedicated party rooms.
Franchisees Robin and Sarah Cook, who bring a wealth of experience in both the property and leisure sectors, are spearheading this venture. We caught up with them, to ask them about their experience of opening a Clip ‘n Climb centre:
Sarah previously had a career in television production, and I run a new build residential property development business in Surrey and West Sussex. We are also co-founders of a CrossFit gym in Crawley, called ‘RH10 Fitness’. CrossFit has always been a passion of ours and when there was a gap in the market we just had to get involved. Building businesses locally with a healthy and positive outlook is something we are proud of and Clip ’n Climb fits into this ethos.
We have always been business minded people. We saw the amount of business other Clip ‘n Climb centres were doing from attending parties with our children. It was a financial opportunity too good to miss. We also love Clip ‘n Climb’s positive influence on both physical fitness and mental well-being, catering to individuals of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned climbers. Above all, it’s a really fun experience!
We have two young children, and over the course of the last few years we have been to a lot of children’s birthday parties, and one place we were really impressed by was Clip ‘n Climb. There was nothing like this where we live, and we saw an opportunity for this to be replicated. Last year I said to Sarah “why don’t we open a Clip ‘n Climb centre?”. We then enquired through the Clip ‘n Climb website to get the ball rolling and took it from there.
Our decision was based on visiting Clip ‘n Climb centres with our children – and having a lot of fun. And that’s when the journey started for us. Within a year we will have opened our very own centre.
We have loved working with Clip ‘n Climb. As two people who have no knowledge or experience of setting up a climbing centre, we have had the expertise and knowledge of Clip ‘n Climb during the whole process – supporting us with our entrepreneurial vision. The set up has been extremely streamlined, due to having a dedicated account manager who we can contact at any time. We have received assistance with a business plan, design and installation processes, and they also offer support with the process of finance should it be required.
We’ve been very impressed with the Clip ‘n Climb team, they’ve been with us every step of the way. We’ve already received lots of enquiries for parties and gift vouchers, and we eagerly await the opening in February!
Clip ‘n Climb have lots of other projects underway. Keep your eyes peeled for our two other franchises, Wandsworth and Halifax, opening very soon in the UK. If you are interested in investing in a Clip ‘n Climb centre, download our investor guide* for more information.
*Please note that the Clip ‘n Climb franchise model is currently only available in the UK.
