Celebrating 3 years in Milton Keynes

Today we celebrate 3 years of Climb Quest being part of the Milton Keynes leisure scene.  It’s a great opportunity to look back at the last few years, with all of it’s Covid craziness, but also many happy and proud moments.We signed the lease for the unit at The Kingston Centre in November 2019.  At that time, it was a Giraffe restaurant that had recently closed down.  All of the tables and kitchen equipment were still there, and a false ceiling that hid the great heights that we have now.

Giraffe - pre-Climb Quest fit out[/caption]During December and January, the renovation started, and the whole site was gutted.  We did keep the giraffe outside though - that's now called Junko!  We built up Climb Quest from an empty shell, adding in a mezzanine and designing a centre that best suited the flow of guests around the building.  The main work was done by Fresh Developments, a company that had also helped us with the build of our sister centre, Clip ‘n Climb Cambridge.

A blank canvas for Climb Quest[/caption]EP Climbing then fitted the climbing arena, with walls up to 10 metres high.  The iconic Stairway to Heaven was placed at the front of the arena, so people walking past would be able to see.Central to our offering, it was essential that the mezzanine provided enough room for people to watch the arena, drink coffee and eat cake, and, most importantly, to host birthday parties.  

Our mezzanine now has 2 party areas, so we can host 2 parties of 20 guests consecutively.To finish off the centre, we commissioned Julian Johnson to put together our amazing mural.  Julian really captured what Climb Quest is about, and his work really brings the centre alive.

Be Proud by ArtJaz[/caption]We had a great launch day on 8.2.20, welcoming 600 climbers over the weekend.And then lockdown.Three times.And then we’ve bounced back.  Not straight away, and not quickly.  Gradually, we were able to bring back climbers, then birthday parties, then youth groups and then schools.  

Over the past year, we have worked with many local charities like MK Snap, Macintyre and Willen Hospice to help with fundraising and providing support for the amazing young people they work with.  We’ve welcomed classes from over 100 schools around Milton Keynes, and countless youth groups.  Birthday parties have really expanded, and it’s great seeing children being able to celebrate their big day in style (with more than 5 people – Rule of 6 – shudder).Climb Quest has continued to support Spectrum and MK Dons SET with their work.  

One highlight from the end of last year was hosting a fundraising event for MK Scouts, to raise money for them to travel to the World Jamboree this year.Our MKBAA Award for Customer Service 2022 still sits proudly on our desk, highlighting the work our team do every day.  We are amazingly proud of our team, who often come to us for their first job.  Seeing new skills being learnt, and confidence grow, is such a big part of Climb Quest.  The team are led brilliantly by Paul and Jamie, our Centre Managers, who have been with us since Day 1 of Climb Quest.

Climb Quest winners at MKBAA[/caption]This past weekend, we celebrated with over 700 climbers at the centre.  Even Spiderman and Captain Marvel came by to say hello, and the weekend was enjoyed by all.

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So today we’re raising a glass to Climb Quest.  Here’s to many more years as part of Milton Keynes.Beth and Chris Walthew