Two UK padel operators used last week’s International Women’s Day to plant the seeds of female participation in the younger generation.
Empower Padel hosted a ‘power brunch’ for women which raised £2,500 for the Hurlingham Club Foundation Girls’ Racquets Programme.
The brunch was attended by over 60 people, hosted by the Hurlingham Club in London and included a panel discussion between sports broadcaster Gigi Salmon, ex-GB hockey player Sophie Bray, alpine ski racer Chemmy Alcott and Empower Padel founder Pep Stonor. Topics included how to be successful, learning from failure and competitiveness for women.
The programme has paid for padel and squash lessons and equipment for 96 girls from Lady Margaret’s School at The Hurlingham Club. The girls are supported by club coaches and volunteers from the padel community to increase their enjoyment of sport and physical activity, build their confidence and self-esteem and improve their overall health and fitness.
Empower Padel continues to drive female participation in padel, with a separate event on Saturday 8 March for 60 women at Padium, a training clinic on Sunday 9 March at Square One Padel Ashford and a charity event for the Sweaty Betty Foundation on Friday 21 March at The Padel Hub, Slough.
Commenting on the IWD event, Pep Stonor said: “This year’s theme for International Women’s Day was Accelerate Action and we are certainly doing that with this scheme to engage new, young players into the sport. Opportunities like this are really important for young women who so often drop out of sport in their teenage years because they don’t find something that is right for them. Padel is an accessible and inclusive sport and so I’m proud of the work we are doing to give these young girls the chance to try it out.
“Many of the girls who participated in the free lessons last year have gone on to play padel under their own steam and we are looking for ways to continue to offer court space and coaching for them to build their love for the game. Huge thanks to The Hurlingham Club Foundation, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and Evelyn Partners who have all supported this programme.”
The day before the ‘power brunch’ at Hurlingham, Lancashire-based operator Soul Padel took its Soul Sisters initiative to Loughborough University in a special collaborative event with the university’s annual EmpowerHER programme.
Held at Soul Padel’s newly-opened courts at Loughborough University, the Soul Sisters Social X EmpowerHER session introduced a welcoming and inclusive space for women to meet, play, and connect through the sport.
The two-hour social play session, now set to run weekly, was attended by GB padel player and Soul Padel ambassador Vic Nicholas, currently ranked no.5 in the UK, and opened with an inspiring Q&A featuring Vic, hosted by Libby Fletcher, National Performance Pathway Manager at the LTA.
The Soul Sisters initiative, launched nationally by Soul Padel at the start of 2025, was created to inspire more women to pick up a padel racket. This comes in response to recent participation insights, which revealed that while padel has been growing rapidly in the UK, the percentage of male players increased from 60% in January 2024 to 70% in January 2025.
The EmpowerHER programme, Loughborough University’s annual initiative, similarly aims to drive female participation in sport at all levels.
Speaking at the event, Vic said: “Padel is an incredible sport that brings people together, and it’s fantastic to see initiatives like Soul Sisters and EmpowerHER making sure that more women have the opportunity to be part of this movement. The atmosphere today was amazing, and I can’t wait to see more women stepping onto the court each week.”
Libby Fletcher, LTA National Performance Pathway Manager added: “It’s great to see Loughborough University collaborate with Soul Sisters to roll out weekly sessions and get more women playing padel. Being a relatively new sport, padel presents a unique opportunity to ensure that women and girls are represented across all aspects of the game.
“From players to coaches, administrators, and officials, increasing the presence of women in the padel workforce and on the courts is essential for building a strong foundation.
Dedicated inclusive sessions such as these are important for helping boost female participation, enhancing the sports visibility, and increasing opportunities for women of all abilities to pick up a padel racket and enjoy the sport.”
