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The Oldham Embryo Project

The Oldham Embryo Project

  • Celebrating innovation

  • Inspiring investment

  • Connecting Oldham to the World

We are creating a new landmark for Oldham!

The Oldham Embryo is a 100-foot steel sculpture on the side of the M60 motorway that tells the story of our town’s industrial roots, its world-changing role in medicine, and its bright future. This is a public project designed to unite the people of Oldham, attract investment, and honour our extraordinary contribution to science through the birth of the world’s first IVF baby.

About the Project

The Oldham Embryo will be a striking, symbolic monument, consisting of two giant interlocking gear wheels. The larger wheel represents the town of Oldham, and the smaller wheel symbolises its 20 electoral wards  (each tooth representing one ward). At the centre of the main wheel will sit an embryo design, a tribute to Oldham’s place in history as the birthplace of Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first IVF baby, born in 1978.

This is more than a sculpture. It is a message to the world:
Oldham exists, Oldham leads, and Oldham is ready for the future.

Why this matters

Oldham has a proud past and an ambitious future. Our town was built by makers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. It also helped make history with the world’s first IVF birth — a medical advance that has transformed the lives of over 25 million families around the world. This project will:

Raise awareness of Oldham among the 40 million people who travel on the M60 each year

Attract national and international media attention

Showcase the town’s youth, talent, and enterprise

Inspire pride, unity and confidence across the borough

Create a new focal point for investment, tourism and education

Frank Rothwell: A Champion for Oldham

Oldham is full of people who go the extra mile — and Frank Rothwell OBE is one of them. As a successful businessman, philanthropist, and owner of Oldham Athletic, Frank represents the values that drive this project: ambition, generosity, and belief in the people of this town.

His work raising millions for Alzheimer’s Research UK and his leadership in the community show what Oldhamers can achieve with the right mindset and motivation.

The Oldham Wheel stands in the same spirit. We hope Frank will lend his support to this vision — not just because it aligns with his passion for Oldham, but because this project shares his belief that Oldham deserves to be seen, celebrated and backed.

Design and Features

27-metre diameter steel gear wheel with 80 one-metre teeth

7-metre secondary gear with 20 teeth representing each ward

Total height: approximately 30 metres (Angel of the North is 20 meters)

Central embryo design in the larger wheel

Optional atom motif in the smaller wheel to connect to the Atom Valley vision

Visitor centre with educational exhibits, café, and a secular IVF reflection space

IVF: A Global Story That Started in Oldham

In 1978, Oldham made medical history. Louise Joy Brown was born at Oldham General Hospital, the world’s first child conceived via in vitro fertilisation. This single event transformed fertility medicine and has since helped create millions of families worldwide.

This project will honour that achievement by incorporating a permanent sculpture of an embryo in the monument’s centre and by creating a secular space where IVF parents, grandparents, and children can visit and reflect on the miracle that began here.

The visitor centre will be the first of its kind in the world.

Funding and Support

We are currently raising funds through a combination of:

Individual and business donations

Grant funding from heritage and arts organisations

Corporate sponsorship opportunities

Crowd funding platforms (e.g. JustGiving, GoFundMe)

“Sponsor a Tooth” scheme for businesses and individuals

A not-for-profit company working in partnership with a registered charity will manage the project with full transparency, open accounts, and an Oldham-based board of trustees.

Get Involved

This is a people’s project — made in Oldham, by Oldham, for Oldham. Whether you’re a resident, a local business, or someone connected to Oldham’s story, we invite you to be part of this.

Ways you can help:

  • Donate

  • Offer support or services

  • Help us connect with media or influencers

  • Host a talk or presentation

  • Spread the word

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