A London padel club will host an open day showcasing a junior programme and an inclusive initiative designed to make the sport accessible for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent players.
Rocket Padel Ilford will run a community open day on May 2, offering free taster sessions for its Heroes Academy for children and its Access Padel programme.
The open day aims to introduce more families to padel in a friendly setting and raise awareness about the club’s regular programmes for children and young people with additional needs.
Read more
KSI - 'I want to take Dagenham and Redbridge to the Premier League'
Walking legends who completed gruelling London to Brighton race reunite
Oskar Wynne, club manager for Ilford, Bristol and Beckton at Rocket Padel, said: "At Rocket Padel we believe padel should be a sport for everyone. Our Heroes Academy and Access Padel programmes are an important part of the community at Rocket Padel Ilford.
"This open day is about giving more young people the chance to experience the joy of the game in a supportive and welcoming environment.”
The Heroes Academy is a coaching programme for children aged four to 11, run by qualified coaches.
The most recent six-week term saw 132 children take part.
On the day, a free Heroes Kids taster session will run from 9.30am to 11am.
Delivered in partnership with Access Sport, the Access Padel programme is designed for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people and their families. Sessions are adapted to meet each participant’s needs.
Coach Tom Charnock leads the sessions, using demonstrations, visual cues and Makaton to include non-verbal players and ensure everyone can take part.
A parent of one child said: "He’ll play padel like it’s never been played before.
"He does whatever he wants… but nobody looks, nobody judges - he’s just him.”
A free Access Padel taster session will take place from 10.30am to 12pm.
Jonny Fenner, development manager at Access Sport, said: "We’re proud to support Rocket Padel in running Access Padel, an initiative that aligns perfectly with our mission to make inclusion the norm in community sport.
"By opening up padel to d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people, this programme is helping to break down barriers and create lasting community impact."
Share