Youngsters from the Manchester United Foundation girls’ academy were among beneficiaries of a packed programme of free padel at this week’s Pro Am Padel Tour event at Pure Padel Stockport.
On the third leg of its 2025 calendar, the Pro Am Padel Tour once again combined grassroots engagement and star-studded sporting action, with the LTA delivering a community day for schools, community groups and adaptive athletes from across Greater Manchester.
With a focus on inclusion and accessibility, LTA coaches delivered sessions for children and young people from the Jason Manford Padel Academy, Altringham FC women’s team, Boost Wellbeing CIC and the Manchester United Foundation girls’ academy, offering participants their first taste of the sport.
GB no.1 female wheelchair padel player Kristen Paskins and GB no.4 male wheelchair player Louis Telford also led an adaptive padel session with players from Manchester Revolution, one of the UK’s leading wheelchair basketball clubs.
The Community Day reinforced the Tour’s mission to grow the game at every level, inspiring the next generation of players while creating a welcoming space for all abilities and backgrounds.
Manchester United Foundation works with over 40,000 children from the most deprived areas of Greater Manchester each year, engaging them in programmes and activities that help make them healthier, happier, more connected and more skilled.
Ciaran Donnelly, Manchester United Foundation’s Education & Employment Manager, said: “It was great for us to be invited down to access this facility and for the kids to take their first steps into the sport.
“The coaches were really inspirational and very patient with them. They taught them the basics and quite quickly left them to start playing by themselves. That’s one of the special things about the sport — you can pick it up quickly and start having fun with your friends.
“Being invited down to the Pro Am Padel Tour opens up access to those who wouldn’t ordinarily have that chance to be able to try it. We may have created a bit of a monster as the kids are already asking their parents to come down for another session!”
All participating organisation at Pro Am Padel Tour’s community days are given vouchers to return to the venue to play again free of charge, creating follow-on opportunities to develop a love of the game.
One participant from the Foundation, 13-year-old Ellie from Bolton, said: “I’d never played it properly before. I like tennis and it’s quite similar. It’s tricky to play the ball off the back walls but I got better at it by the end!”
Eight people aged between 14 and 50 from Boost Wellbeing CIC also received support from LTA coaches as they enjoyed the Community Day in Stockport.
Boost Wellbeing is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers a range of weekly sport and physical activity classes to support people suffering with mental ill health and social isolation.
“For all our guys who came down, it was their first experience of padel and there was a real buzz around the court,” said Boost Wellbeing founder Steve Flynn.
“When I shared with them that they had the opportunity to do it again with the vouchers we received, they were delighted. We’ll hopefully look to make it a regular occurence because it seemed like such an accessible sport.
“It felt really inclusive, sociable and enjoyable. I think people felt really comfortable and it was really good fun. It was played at a nice pace and that makes a real difference for people who aren’t necessarily naturally sporty.”
Oliver Morgan, founder of the Pro Am Padel Tour, said: “Manchester was one of the most exciting stops of the Tour so far. The passion from the community on day one and the energy from the celebrities and pros on day two showed exactly why padel is the fastest-growing sport in the UK. We’re proud to use the Tour as a platform not just for entertainment, but to inspire the next generation of players.”
