Weekly Free Padel Sessions for Young People on Alternative Education Path in Colchester
At our Colchester venue, we’ve always believed padel should be accessible to everyone—not just those who can easily book a court or pay for lessons. That’s at the heart of our padel for the people ethos: making the sport welcoming, fun, and open to all. We’re always open to chatting about how padel can support more initiatives like this—get in touch if it sparks any ideas!
Our Ongoing Partnership with Changing Lives
For the past four months, we’ve quietly offered free weekly court time to Changing Lives, a dedicated charity supporting children and young people on Alternative Education pathways in the Colchester and Essex area.
These sessions provide a valuable break from the classroom routine. The young people get to pick up a racket, enjoy the fast-paced excitement of padel, run around, hit shots, laugh with friends, and build teamwork—all in a relaxed, non-formal environment.
The feedback has been truly heartening. Many of the youth are trying padel for the first time and genuinely loving it. It’s a simple way to offer release, boost confidence, and introduce sport to those who might not otherwise have the chance.
Why This Matters: Padel for the People in Action
This initiative fits perfectly with our core belief that padel can bring people together, build skills and confidence, and open doors—especially for those facing barriers.
We see our centres as community hubs where sport creates positive change. By providing these free padel sessions for young people, we’re helping create moments of joy and connection in a welcoming space.
A Rare but Growing Movement in UK Padel
Dedicated schemes like weekly free padel sessions for children and young people facing educational challenges remain quite rare across the UK padel scene. While a handful of venues, charities, and community programs (including youth outreach by organizations like Padel United UK, Padel4all, and LTA-supported initiatives) are beginning to offer similar inclusive access, ongoing partnerships focused on alternative education pathways stand out.
We’re proud to play a small part in this quiet momentum—helping build a more inclusive padel community, one session at a time, alongside the positive steps emerging at our other centres around the country.
Looking Ahead: Photos and How to Get Involved
We’re looking forward to sharing photos from the sessions soon, once all necessary permissions are in place.
In the meantime, if you’re interested in similar opportunities, want to learn more about Changing Lives charity, or would like to discuss how padel can make a difference in your community, please do get in touch. We’re always happy to chat.
What Changing Lives Community Services Does
Over 20,000 young people supported since 2018 & 1,945 Workshops delivered!
Changing Lives is dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable young people in society, with a strong emphasis on increasing access to physical activity and promoting overall well-being. Key areas of their work include:
- Youth Development Through Sport — They run programs that use sports like padel to help young people make positive choices, build skills, and stay active in a safe, supportive environment.
- Alternative Education Pathways — They deliver tailored alternative education programs across Essex, including in Colchester. These sessions blend learning with practical activities (from classrooms to sports halls and even music studios), empowering young people who benefit from non-traditional settings to inspire, lead, and motivate themselves.
- Community Hub Support — Operating as a community hub in Colchester (with additional bases in Harlow), they offer mentoring, mental health support, wellbeing classes, and initiatives to prevent involvement in anti-social behavior or gang culture. They also support low-income families and run food collections and other outreach.
- Early Intervention and Prevention — Their core mission is early intervention—raising awareness about risks like gang activity while providing positive alternatives through sport, social programs, and volunteering.
Contact Us | Learn More about Changing Lives)
