The UK has 860,000 padel players. Most can’t afford £20 a court. Here’s why we’re building affordable padel clubs for the other 99%.
Most new UK padel clubs chase the same player. High income, happy to pay £20 an hour for a court in central London. The spreadsheet looks tidy. Everyone else builds the same club for the same person.
We do the opposite, on purpose.
Why most UK padel clubs chase the wrong player
The UK has over 860,000 padel players. Most of them don’t live near Mayfair. They live in towns where a family of four can’t hand over £80+ for an hour of play.
If padel is going to become what everyone says it will become, it has to work at that price point. Someone has to build clubs where a school teacher and a 19 year old who caught the bug last summer can both afford to play two nights a week. That’s who we build for.
It pays less per court, and we knew that before we signed the first lease.
The difference between a padel club and a padel facility
Anyone can build four courts and a booking page. Plenty of rooms exist where the only thing connecting the players on court 3 to the players on court 4 is the wifi. Those are facilities. A club feels different.
When a player walks out after a session, do they know anyone’s name? Have they signed up to a mixed social, a Wednesday mini league, a coaching group? Is there a reason to come back beyond the fact that they booked it? If the answer is no, we’ve failed. No amount of court utilisation makes up for that.
So we run socials that don’t pay per hour. Our coaches grow out of the community. They don’t commute in for single lessons. We care more about our WhatsApp groups than our booking system.
Where we’re building next
We’re not getting quieter. You’ll see more clubs in places nobody thought padel belonged. More coaches who grew up a mile from the court. More pricing that lets you play.
We already have clubs in Wimbledon, Sedlescombe, Basingstoke, Shepton Mallet, Corsham and Boston, with more opening every few months.
If you want a club where the regulars learn your name, we’re building one near you.
The sport belongs to the players. We’re here to open the door.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to play at Padel People? Our court prices are set to be affordable for regular players, typically well below the £20+ rates common in central London. Pricing varies slightly by venue, so check your local club page for current rates.
Where are Padel People clubs located? We currently operate six clubs across the UK: Wimbledon, Sedlescombe, Basingstoke, Shepton Mallet, Corsham and Boston. More venues are opening soon.
Do I need to be a member to play? No. You can book a court as a casual player, but joining the community through socials, mini leagues and coaching groups is where the club really comes alive.
What makes Padel People different from other UK padel clubs? We build clubs, not facilities. That means community programming, local coaches, affordable pricing and a focus on the players who live nearby rather than fly-in-fly-out customers.