Padel Tide opens in Falmouth after an hour’s drive got too much

Three business partners, three full-time jobs, young families at home, and an hour’s drive every time they fancied a game. Something had to give. In the end it was a corner of cricket club land.

Two covered courts at Falmouth Cricket Club

Padel Tide opened to the public on Saturday 12 September in the grounds of Falmouth Cricket Club, bringing padel to Falmouth for the first time. Its two courts sit back-to-back and are under cover.

The club was launched by business partners Chris Snow, James Trevena and Leon Bull with a combined loan of £143,000, delivered by SWIG Finance on behalf of the British Business Bank. Each of the three took a Start Up Loan of £25,000, and a further £68,000 came from the South West Investment Fund (SWIF).

“It’s a beautiful location,” said James. “Our courts are under cover, which means you are outdoors but protected from the elements.”

So what is padel?

Padel was invented in Mexico in the 1960s and sits somewhere between tennis and squash. Matches are doubles, played on small courts enclosed by walls of glass and mesh. It caught on first in South America and across Europe, then took off in the UK during the pandemic, helped by the fact it can be played outdoors and without physical contact.

“It’s great fun, and a very sociable game,” said James. “It’s suitable for all ages and levels and being easy on the joints, it’s nice and gentle, but can also be fast-paced.”

Why Falmouth needed its own courts

Chris has been playing for many years, while James took up the sport more recently. Both were frustrated at having nowhere closer to home to play.

“Our nearest courts were in Newquay, which is an hour’s drive,” said James. “We all have young families, so an hour each way and a game of 90 minutes isn’t feasible every week.”

Chris had spent a couple of years looking for a possible site. The breakthrough came in 2025, when staff at Falmouth Cricket Club showed they were willing to lease part of the club’s land to the new business, which was registered that May. Planning permission followed in January this year, and groundworks began in April.

All three have kept their day jobs throughout. “It has been stressful but very exciting,” said James. “We all have full-time jobs. I’m an operations manager, Chris owns a gas engineering company and Leon runs a coatings and painting business, so we are juggling things.”

Founder members and Padel and Pushchair

Interest was building well before opening day. “A lot of locals have signed up to our newsletter and taken our founder membership,” said James. “It’s good to know people are keen to play. Many have thanked us for starting up a club in Falmouth, because they were having to travel too.”

Plans include Padel and Pushchair sessions, so parents with young children can get a game in, and Friday-evening tournaments that let individual players sign up on their own and make new friends on court.

Padel Tide has also teamed up with local sports coaches and will work with primary and secondary schools to get more young people playing.

How the funding came together

The business was set up with help from Start Up Loans Officer Suzy Lowe and Business Manager Rachel Thomson at SWIG Finance. SWIG is one of four fund managers for the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund, and the Bank’s Start Up Loans business support partner in the South West. Last year it delivered £8 million in Start Up Loan funding to more than 400 businesses across the region.

For James, the appeal was in how the money arrived. “We were especially interested in the flexibility of the lending package, with payments staged and linked to when we needed funds to pay for things like the groundworks and installation, allowing us to manage our cash flow accordingly.”

Speaking before the courts opened, Rachel said: “At SWIG, we are keen to see the impact our lending will have on the community. With their inclusive ethos and ability for everyone to play, enjoy some exercise and meet others, these padel courts fit with what we like to do. I can’t wait to see the courts open and in use. Well done to the team behind this.”

Suzy added: “This is a very exciting project. I know it will be an absolute hit in Falmouth and provide opportunity for all demographics to engage, promoting a real sense of community.”

Start Up Loans offers personal loans of up to £25,000 per director, with free mentoring, to people starting or growing a new or early-stage business. The £200m South West Investment Fund covers the whole South West and provides loans from £25,000 to £2m, plus equity investment of up to £5m.

Lizzy Upton, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “Padel Tide shows how our different funding options can work together to give new businesses the finance they need. By combining Start Up Loans with the South West Investment Fund, Chris, James and Leon have been able to turn their passion for the sport into a venture that will bring padel to Falmouth, creating a great facility for the local community.”