S3 Padel has opened its first club in Wales, bringing eight indoor padel courts and four pickleball courts to the heart of Bangor.
The new venue is described as North Wales’ largest indoor padel and pickleball facility and the first club of its kind in the region at this scale.
To mark its opening, S3 Padel Bangor is holding a community week with free sessions for beginners, families and anyone interested in trying padel for the first time.
Alongside its 12 courts, the club has a dedicated social and events space, pro shop, warm-up area, full changing facilities and a bar and café serving hot and cold food and a selection of drinks.
Growing padel in North Wales
Padel is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports, driven by its social appeal, accessibility and low barriers to entry.
Almost 8,000 new courts have opened worldwide during the last year, with the UK becoming one of the sport’s standout growth markets.
S3 Padel Bangor aims to bring that momentum to North Wales, giving people of different ages and abilities an opportunity to take part.
The club offers a weekly programme ranging from Intro to Padel sessions for complete beginners to Americano-style socials, coaching and competitive matchplay.
Dedicated women’s sessions, family socials and junior programmes will also be available.
Pickleball, another of the world’s fastest-growing racket sports, will broaden the club’s appeal and provide local people with more ways to play.
First S3 Padel club in Wales
The Bangor venue is operated by S3 Padel, trading as Social Sports Society, an organisation founded to rethink how communities engage with sport and wellbeing.
S3 Padel operates five other clubs across the UK, serving more than 36,000 players of different ages, genders and abilities.
The organisation has pledged to provide 250,000 hours of free court time to schools, charities and community organisations across its clubs over the next five years. The commitment will apply to its Bangor venue from its first day.
Natasha Waterfield, Chief Operating Officer of S3 Padel, said:
“Bangor is a really exciting step for us – it’s our first club in Wales and the biggest indoor padel and pickleball facility in North Wales. We’ve seen first-hand across our other clubs how quickly padel brings people together, and we think Bangor is the perfect place to grow the sport in a part of the country that hasn’t had access to it at this level before.
“It’s for the person who’s never picked up a racket and wants to try something new. It’s for the family looking for something active to do together. It’s for the group of friends who want a social that doesn’t revolve around sitting in a pub. That’s who S3 is built for, and that’s who we want walking through the door in Bangor.”
Gavin Williams, Club Manager at S3 Padel Bangor, said:
“I couldn’t be more proud to be opening this club. We’ve got eight padel courts, four pickleball courts, a great social space and a team that genuinely wants to make every person who walks in feel welcome – whether they’ve played a hundred times or have no idea what padel or pickleball is.
“The response from the local community has already been brilliant, and we want to give everyone a proper chance to come and experience it. Bring your friends, bring the kids, and come and have a go.
“My focus is making sure everyone who comes in for their first session leaves having had a great time and wanting to come back. That’s the only measure of success that matters to me.”
