11:02, 18 Jun 2025<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_KMR_BL_170625themothership_result.jpg\")
The Mothership is one of the venues being sold to local climbing operator Flashpoint Climbing Group(Image: The Climbing Academy Group Ltd)<\/p>\n
Bristol climbing centres are to be sold in what their current owners have termed an “incredibly difficult decision”.<\/p>\n
The Climbing Academy Group Ltd (TCA) has announced that, after 17 years, it will be selling its two centres in the city \u2013 The Mothership and The Church \u2013 to local climbing operator Flashpoint Climbing Group (FCG).<\/p>\n
TCA said that, despite operating busy and profitable centres, its decision is a response to mounting economic pressures, including sustained inflation, increased operational costs and the impact of new competition opening in both Glasgow and Bristol simultaneously.<\/p>\n
These challenges have made it difficult for TCA to continue operating the Bristol sites, is said, combined with the ongoing recovery from a major redevelopment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been an incredibly difficult decision, and not one we\u2019ve taken lightly,\u201d said TCA Co-Founder and CEO, Rich Emerson.<\/p>\n
\u201cBristol is where TCA began \u2013 it\u2019s part of our DNA. We\u2019re deeply proud of the community we\u2019ve helped build here, and of the thousands of climbers who took their first steps on our walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of September, Flashpoint \u2013 a well established and respected operator already running successful climbing walls in the region \u2013 aims to take over both venues.<\/p>\n
As part of the transfer, current TCA Bristol staff will move to Flashpoint under TUPE regulations.<\/p>\n
TCA\u2019s CEO Rich Emerson said: \u201cWe\u2019re relieved and reassured that both centres will continue in the hands of people who understand and care about the Bristol climbing scene. Flashpoint\u2019s team is made up of local climbers who share our values and commitment to the community.<\/p>\n
“They\u2019re excited to build on the success of TCA to grow a network of centres that each have their own identity and strengths \u2013 to create an unrivalled offering for climbers in the city. We\u2019re confident they\u2019ll carry TCA\u2019s legacy forward with care and celebrate what makes each wall special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack Griffiths, CEO at The Flashpoint Group said: \u201cWe have long admired what The Church and The Mothership have done for the industry and their unique climbing culture. The Church (originally UCR) was one of the original pioneering climbing walls, and has been open for over 30 years.<\/p>\n
“When The Mothership (originally TCA) came along 16 years later they were one of the very first boulder-only facilities in the country, again paving the way for a new generation of walls and climbers. We all owe a debt to these two walls, their founders and their communities.<\/p>\n
“None of us would be here without their vision and the responsibility now falls to us to build upon this legacy for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
This change allows TCA to focus on strengthening its existing centres in Glasgow where it maintains a strong competitive position and in Chippenham where it operates a wall for Chippenham Borough Lands Charity.<\/p>\n
The senior team at TCA described the transition as a necessary step to secure the long-term health of the company.<\/p>\n
The team is now inviting climbers past and present to share memories using the hashtag #IheartTCA , in celebration of the community that has grown around the Bristol walls.<\/p>\n
\u201cTCA Bristol has meant so much to so many,\u201d said Emerson. \u201cWhile this chapter is ending, we know the community spirit will live on \u2013 and we\u2019re grateful for every person who\u2019s been part of the journey – including many who have been with us since week one.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cBristol is where TCA began \u2013 it\u2019s part of our DNA” Kirstie McCrum Network Content Editor 11:02, 18…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195805,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8818],"tags":[381,748,393,4884,378,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-195804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bristol","8":"tag-bristol","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-in-the-news","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114707312450703449","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}