The fourth annual Sunday Times 100 rankings were published on June 27, identifying and celebrating Britain’s 100 leading entrepreneurial businesses.
The Lakeland Climbing Centres, based in Kendal, was one of 17 companies to be included from the northwest.
Founder Jeremy Wilson, from Windermere, commented: “[There’s] incredible work done by so many people I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past 30 years at The Lakeland Climbing Centre and across our other centres around the country.
“In particular, I’d like to acknowledge Kate Phillips, who was instrumental in establishing Kendal Wall in its early days, and Tom Hull, who has led our London walls with dedication and vision for the past 12 years.
“Through our 16 centres, along with the fantastic work being done at The Depot Climbing Walls, we welcome more than 8,000 people every day who are discovering or deepening their love of climbing.”
The centre in Kendal (Image: Google Maps)
The Lakeland Climbing Centre ranked 18th amongst northwest-based companies and 96th in the UK leader board.
The first centre opened in 1995 in Kendal and it now has sites in Lancaster, Preston and London.
Mr Wilson’s dedication to the industry recently saw him rewarded with an MBE in HM The King’s 2025 Birthday Honours list.
The research for The Sunday Times 100 found on average the top 100 fastest-growing companies have increased their sales by 111% a year over the last three years, to a combined £3.4 billion in sales.
The Lakeland Climbing Centre boasts an annual sales growth of 57.68% over three years, with its latest sales standing at £9.5m.
The business was at odds with many of its fellow celebrated companies, with roughly two-thirds of the list having been founded in the last decade.
This year, The Sunday Times 100 excludes companies that sell their own technology, which now feature in the sister table, The Sunday Times 100 Tech, launched in January 2025.
The Sunday Times 100 is sponsored by Barclays Private Bank and supported by S&W, the professional services firm, Oracle NetSuite and Singer Capital Markets.
