Padel United UK’s mission is simple: bring padel to the people — and our recent pop-up court in Plymouth city centre was a powerful example of that vision in action.
From June 30th to July 13th, we set up a free-to-play padel court in the heart of the city, giving locals the chance to try one of the world’s fastest-growing sports in an easy, accessible and welcoming environment. The result? A phenomenal response from the public, non-stop activity, and even BBC coverage.
200 Hours of Community Play
Over the two-week period, the court was in near-constant use — open every day from 9am to 9pm, and often booked up throughout. In total, we saw close to 200 hours of play, with hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds coming down to have a go.
Some were seasoned tennis players curious about the new sport. Others had never picked up a racket in their lives — and that’s exactly the point. This event was designed to break down barriers and show that padel is for everyone.
A Strong Partnership for the Future
The success of the Plymouth pop-up has laid a solid foundation for something bigger. We’re proud to say we’re now in discussions to extend this partnership over the next five years, bringing padel to more people, more often, and embedding it into the city’s sporting landscape.
This isn’t just a one-off — it’s the start of a long-term plan to grow the game at grassroots level, in a city that clearly has the appetite for it.
Schools Programme: Inspiring the Next Generation
A major highlight of the project was our dedicated Schools and Home Education programme, which saw 10 local schools and home-ed groups visit the court for introductory padel sessions. Many of these children had never heard of padel before, but quickly got hooked by its fast-paced rallies, simple scoring, and sociable nature.
Watching kids laugh, run, compete and learn together in a safe, inclusive setting is what makes this work so rewarding.
What’s Next?
Following the success in Plymouth, we’re exploring similar pop-up activations in cities across the UK, each backed by a growing network of partners, schools, and local councils.
As we continue our work to make padel the most accessible, inclusive, and exciting sport in the UK, events like this remind us that real change happens when sport is brought directly to the people — to city centres, to schools, and to new communities.
📍 Want to bring pop-up padel to your town?
👉 Get in touch via www.padeluniteduk.com
🎾 Let’s build the future of British padel — together.
