Helping Connect Padel UK reach local communities
• 2 MINUTE READ
Connect Padel UK, whose first club opens soon in Birmingham, has partnered with us to offer 1,000 free hours of court time per year to schools and charities at all its venues.
The new operator on the padel scene was founded by Charlie Thomson and has Golden Globe-nominated actress Lily James (Charlie's sister) as its Global Ambassador. Its first site, which is officially opening at Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club on 2 August, will have four canopied panoramic courts and a strong community focus.
Accessibility is a core part of Connect Padel UK's mission. As its name suggests, the company's philosophy is about making connections with the nearby community, offering access to padel for demographics who may not otherwise get the opportunity to give the sport a try.
Connect Padel UK's pledge to make padel “more accessible, affordable, engaging and social for players of all levels” chimes with the LTA's 'Padel Opened Up' vision, which focuses on increasing participation and accessibility.
Anna Hart, Delivery Manager at Warwickshire LTA, has supported Connect Padel UK founder Charlie by linking him with Sport Birmingham (the city's Active Partnership), the local School Games Organiser, key contacts at nearby schools, and charities such as Saheli Hub, an organisation which provides safe spaces for women and girls from underserved communities to get active.
"We'd like to see Connect Padel UK set the tone for how we'll deliver padel to the local community in Birmingham," said Anna. "Charlie is a model of good practice in how you can be commercially viable but also help to diversify the player base and give back to the community.
"What he didn't have to begin with was that local network, so we've facilitated those conversations with potential user groups that will hopefully bear fruit with a much more diverse playing population. He's followed up on every single link we've provided for him."
Birmingham currently has 13 padel courts, putting it somewhat behind the curve set by the likes of London, Bristol and Manchester. With 1.2 million citizens, the Second City certainly has plenty of potential for padel growth.
Charlie aims to begin fulfilling that potential on 2 August, with a host of initiatives up his sleeve at Connect Padel Birmingham to boost inclusive participation.
Once open, Charlie is planning a schools programmes to start in September, offering pupils weekly free daytime court slots, coaching and free use of equipment. He also wants to host free clinics to upskill PE teachers in how to coach padel, including basic drills and lesson plans. The LTA has supported these plans by offering access to its qualified coaches.
"The LTA has been extremely supportive and responsive in helping me set up Connect Padel Birmingham," says Charlie. "There's obvious synergy between our offer of 1,000 free hours of court time and how they want to grow padel and tennis amongst different demographics.
"We don't want to just focus on maximising court occupancy in the short term — we need to think about the future too. It's about bringing through the next generation of players by offering accessibility and affordability.
"As more courts get built, there is inevitably going to be downward pressure on court booking fees. I would much rather position ourselves where we think that's going to get to, rather than adjust later on.
"The dream would be that one day one of our young players goes on to become a professional, but that's not really the aim. Firstly, it's about getting children and adults from all kinds of backgrounds on court, letting them to play and making a positive difference to their lives."
