Empower Padel and the LTA have launched a four-month pilot programme designed to accelerate the growth of women’s and girls’ participation in padel across Britain.
The Women’s Padel Activator Pilot Programme will put women at the heart of growing the sport through a network of Padel Activators – women and young women who will introduce their communities to padel and help players progress from their first experience to regular play.
The pilot will launch new activations at Padel Stars Basildon, Padel4All Eastbourne and Pure Padel Lightwater, with another location to be added shortly. This programme builds on established weekly initiatives at Padel Hub Slough, Fleet, Padel4All Bracknell and Padel Maidenhead.
The programme will also include university activations and a Next Gen Padel Festival for players aged 16–24.
The four-month pilot has headline targets of 1,000 unique participants, 500 repeat participants and 200 regular monthly players. Empower Padel will track participation and retention throughout the programme to identify which approaches are most effective and sustainable.
This partnership with Empower Padel is one of a number of targeted LTA programmes to increase female representation on court and in the workforce.
Empower Padel: two years of growth
The launch coincides with Empower Padel’s second anniversary. Founded in September 2024, the organisation’s mission is to help women and girls start, stay in or return to sport through padel.
In two years, Empower Padel has achieved:
· 3,500+ women in its community
· 1,250+ women and girls introduced to padel
· 150+ events delivered across the UK and internationally
· 20,000+ Instagram followers
· 400+ women contributing to annual Women in Padel Community Survey
· 100+ girls introduced to padel through the Hurlingham Club Foundation programme
· 45+ local activators helping grow women’s padel
· £5,000+ raised for girls’ sport and charitable initiatives
In 2026, founder Pep Stonor was awarded the LTA President’s Award, becoming the first person from the padel community to receive the award. Empower Padel was also named Best Community Initiative at the British Padel Awards.
Stonor (pictured above) said: “When we started Empower Padel, our mission was simple: to help women start, stay in or return to sport through padel. We’re thrilled to have helped so many women do exactly that over the past two years and to have built such an incredible community along the way.
“But we’re only just getting started. We can’t wait to scale what we’re doing and help as many women and girls as possible discover the confidence, connection and community that padel can bring – especially the next generation.”
Jo-Anne Downing, LTA Programme Strategy Manager, said: “We are proud to partner with Empower Padel to support our shared ambition of making padel more accessible and inclusive for women and girls in Britain.
“Padel presents a significant opportunity to engage more women and girls in sport, and our focus is on ensuring that this growth is inclusive and sustainable. It’s not just about introducing people to the sport for the first time, but creating the opportunities, environments and support networks that encourage long-term participation.
Girls’ festival launches the next generation
The programme launches alongside the Empower Padel Next Generation Festival, which took place on 1 September, bringing girls and young women together to experience padel and explore opportunities within the sport.
Fifteen girls aged 16–24 completed their training to become LTA Activators, and the day of fun saw 80 registrations from beginners through to more advanced players, all taking to the courts to enjoy the game of padel.
The festival forms part of Empower Padel’s ambition to create a pathway from first experience and participation through to competition, leadership and coaching.
