Teams from across the region swapped the boardroom for the court to compete in the inaugural Martin House Padel Open. The tournament, held at Surge Padel in Harrogate, brought together nearly 60 players and raised approximately £6,500 for the children’s hospice.
Among the competitors was former England men’s football manager and Martin House ambassador Sir Gareth Southgate. The event was split into competitive and social leagues, with Richard Watts and Alexis Twigg taking home the competitive trophy, while Matt Welsh and Dan Ross won the social tournament prize.
Pamela Newby, partnerships development manager at Martin House, said: “We’re thrilled with the success of our first Padel Open – everyone who took part had an incredible time, and we received so much positive feedback from the players. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone for making it such an enormous success, and to our trustee Will Linley for supporting the event from the outset.”
The hospice provides specialist palliative care, symptom management, and end-of-life support for children and young people with life-shortening conditions across West, North, and East Yorkshire.
Pamela added: “Families rely on the specialist support our clinical team provide 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s why it’s so important that events like these not only raise money for Martin House, but give us the opportunity to talk to businesspeople from around Yorkshire about the impact they can have when they partner with us.”
The event was sponsored by Apollo Capital Group, with additional support from Yorkshire Tea and Padel 4 The People. David Moss, managing director of Apollo Capital Group, said: “We are proud to continue our support of Martin House and were delighted to sponsor their first Padel Open. It was a great evening and nice to see everyone enjoying themselves whilst at the same time supporting a local charity.”
