Padel tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and with 400 new courts estimated to be in place by 2023, we are looking forward to being part of this emerging trend.
Now that padel is recognised by the LTA as a discipline of tennis in Great Britain, clubs and local organisations looking to develop the sport and provide new facilities will be able to apply for funding programmes that are put in place by Sport England, Sport Scotland and Sport Wales, subject to them meeting certain conditions and criteria.
It is hoped that organic growth of the sport’s popularity will occur where tennis venues proactively add padel courts as a means of creating a sustainable business model for the future. This is an exciting opportunity for us as we are armed and ready with both the experience and expertise to help design and install these courts.
Padel is seen as the perfect solution for a tennis venue with structural challenges and limited space, as two to three padel courts can fit into one tennis court and it’s surrounding area. Venues can therefore introduce a new revenue stream whilst maximising any unused space.
Our bespoke sports structures are specifically designed to optimise the space available so this is a (padel) match made in heaven!
Over the years, tennis clubs have tried to retain and grow their membership base by adding gyms and indoor courts which, in our experience working with local organisations, has proved to be a successful business development. In fact, Peterborough Tennis Club saw their membership numbers soar from 25 to 320 almost overnight after the installation of their indoor facilities.
Padel provides yet another fun, social and dynamic alternative to the traditional racket sport, which will also help boost growth objectives. Since it is considered to be easier than tennis at beginner level there are less barriers to entry and it is more accessible to a broader community.
After a year in which indoor sport has been considerably disrupted, we anticipate there could be a huge appetite coming for people to join local sports clubs, which bring people together. Since padel is fast-paced, only played in doubles and on a small court, it naturally brings people closer and so feels like the perfect activity to put under the spotlight, once restrictions have been lifted and we cannot wait to get involved!
