It’s a global craze, and now padel is coming to Falmouth thanks to two keen players and a combined loan of £143,000 delivered by SWIG Finance on behalf of the British Business Bank.
Business partners Chris Snow, James Trevena and Leon Bull received Start Up Loans of £25,000 each, and £68,000 from the South West Investment Fund (SWIF), to launch Padel Tide, which opened to the public on September 12 in the grounds of Falmouth Cricket Club.
Invented in Mexico in the 1960s, padel is a cross between tennis and squash, with doubles matches played on small courts with walls of glass and mesh. Initially popular in South America and across Europe, the sport exploded in the UK during the pandemic, thanks to its ability to be played outdoors and without physical contact.
Business partners Chris Snow, James Trevena and Leon Bull received a funding package from SWIG Finance to launch Padel Tide
“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.”
Chris has been playing for many years while James took up the sport more recently. Both were frustrated at not having facilities closer to home: “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.”
While Chris had been looking for potential premises for a couple of years, connections were made in 2025 when staff at Falmouth Cricket Club showed a willingness to lease part of its land to the fledgling business, which was registered in May that year.
Planning permission was granted in January this year, with groundworks starting in April on two courts back-to-back.
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“It’s a beautiful location,” says James. “Our courts are under cover, which means you are outdoors but protected from the elements. It has been stressful but very exciting. 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 but it’s really coming together.”
Interest is already keen. “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.”
There are plans for Padel and Pushchair sessions to enable parents with young children to have some fun, and Friday-evening tournaments designed to enable individual players to sign up and play together, making new friends in the process.
Padel Tide has also teamed up with local sports coaches and will work with primary and secondary schools to increase awareness and popularity among younger players.
The project is being seen as a good example of how SWIG Finance can combine different funding streams in a flexible way to help projects get off the ground.
The business was launched with the help of Start Up Loans Officer Suzy Lowe and Business Manager Rachel Thomson at SWIG Finance, which 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.
The project is being seen as a good example of how SWIG Finance can combine different funding streams in a flexible way to help projects get off the ground.
James said: “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.”
SWIG’s Rachel Thomson 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.”
SWIG’s business managers Suzy Lowe and Rachel Thomson supported the business with their loan applications.
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.”
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.”
Start Up Loans is part of the British Business Bank and offers personal loans of up to £25,000 per director and offers free mentoring to help anyone start or grow a new or early-stage business. The £200m South West Investment Fund covers the entire South West region and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized grow.
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About SWIG Finance
SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. We base our lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means that we can often support businesses when others can't.
We’re growing every year. In 2025/26, we lent £18.4m to 506 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,134 jobs and generate £95.2m in social impact. Download the report here.
If you’d like an informal chat about your funding requirements, get in touch with our friendly and professional team to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 930