Heart of Padel opens in Radcliffe with free play week

Heart of Padel is trying to do more than cut a ribbon in Radcliffe. Its soft launch on Eton Hill Road comes with a full week of free play, a clear bid to turn curious locals into repeat players before the regular booking rhythm takes over.

The site itself has been built for that kind of first-contact experience. Bury Council approved the conversion of the former Castlecroft Caravan Centre on October 15, 2025, clearing the way for five covered padel courts and a clubhouse. The plans also included an accessible toilet and shower unit, parking, male and female changing areas, an equipment shop, seating and tables, and a bar serving area. The design-and-access material said the project would repurpose the storage site and existing workshop into a contemporary clubhouse and café, with room for additional courts later.

That mix of courts and social space is the point. Heart of Padel’s social media profile describes the venue as a family-run padel club, café and social hub at Eton Hill Road, M26 2ZT, and said the opening was scheduled for Saturday, June 27 after more than 18 months of planning and construction. The club’s soft launch began the week starting Monday, June 22, with free games for all visitors, a launch model that lowers the biggest barrier in any growing racket sport: getting somebody off the fence and onto a court for the first time.

Padel’s numbers help explain why clubs are leaning into that approach. The Lawn Tennis Association said that by the end of 2025, 860,000 adults and juniors had played padel at least once in the previous year, up from 400,000 at the end of 2024 and 15,000 in 2019. The sport’s footprint also climbed to 1,553 courts across 559 venues in Great Britain. That growth has been tied to an explicit strategy from the governing body, which says padel should be accessible, welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring.

The LTA says more than 81% of venues responding to its survey are already involved in community outreach, including school partnerships, reduced-cost sessions and complimentary coaching for underserved groups. Heart of Padel fits that pattern closely. For Radcliffe, the opening is not just another leisure option on the map; it is a local entry point into a sport whose expansion now depends as much on free first swings and clubhouse culture as on court supply.