Salus Padel in Bradford has partnered with Rackets Cubed to give children from one of the UK’s most deprived neighbourhoods free access to padel.
The 24-week programme for children from Lift Feversham Primary School is just one of many community-focused projects run by Salus Padel with Bene Leisure — who have collectively pledged to offer 100 hours free court time per month, plus free equipment, to schools and voluntary sector groups across the city.
Situated in Bradford city centre, Salus is part of Bene Leisure which also includes indoor cricket nets, a golf simulator, a cafe and Pilates and wellness studios.
Salus Padel’s four courts may not satisfy padel purists — the roof on the former bingo hall is a tad low and the highest Playtomic ratings among regulars is 1.5 — however, the club is very much to the liking of its local community who are benefiting from a raft of free and affordable sessions.
The Rackets Cubed programme (supported by a grant from the LTA Tennis Foundation) began at Salus in January and gives pupils from Lift Feversham Primary an opportunity to take part in sport that they are so often otherwise denied.
The school is located in one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. All of its children are from ethnic minorities and have English as an additional language, and 54% have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
In addition to weekly sessions with coach Simon Parke (a former world no.3 squash player), pupils receive STEM education and nutritious hot meals, provided by local restaurant Babtooma.
The programme is coordinated by Salus Padel owner Waseem Khan, Director of Partnerships and Development, Jim Lord, and Carrie Cantle, Rackets Cubed’s Head of Impact, Communications and Projects.
“Our model is about being at the heart of the community,” Khan told The Padel Paper when we visited a Rackets Cubed session last week.
“By offering 100 hours of padel a week for free, we are demonstrating a commitment to making padel accessible, engaging, fun and sustainable.”
Salus’ database shows that over 20% of its weekly footfall is from first-time visitors, so that ‘fun’ element is vital to keep them coming back, particularly at the community sessions.
Lord explains: “You need coaches and facilitators whose main role is to make all participants go away from a session thinking, ‘That was brilliant!’ This is what sits at the heart of our model. It gives you the best chance of longevity.”
The Bradford club has given owner Waseem the confidence to explore further venues nearby. There too, the Salus ethos of positively impacting the community will be the guiding principle.
Salus is the Latin word for health, wellbeing and prosperity, which is the watchword behind other projects at its Bradford club:
- Free taster sessions for 50 schools across Bradford in partnership with local School Games Organiser Zahid Nasseri
- Free court time for community and faith-based groups such as Mind, Mencap and Sangat Community Centre on Monday and Wednesday mornings
- Holiday and Food (HAF) sessions for children during the school holidays
- Collaborative projects with Sunnah Sports to provide opportunities for home-educated children and their parents/carers, vulnerable adults and adults with disabilities
- Partnership with Mind to support adult and older adult services
- Intergenerational activity for whole families with support from Sporting Memories
In all these activities, padel acts as a catalyst for change, working with delivery partners to address the most significant challenges being faced by the local community.
Waseem states: “We’re not a soulless warehouse miles outside the city centre, and we never will be. This place is plugged into this area, providing a safe and friendly environment for anyone to come and discover this sport and all the benefits it offers.”
