Leading Operator The Padel Club Appoints John Treharne, Founder of The Gym Group, as Chair.
The Padel Club, one of the UK’s fastest-growing padel operators, is delighted to announce the appointment of John Treharne as Chair.
Since its launch in 2022 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, The Padel Club has been at the forefront of driving padel participation in the North-West. The Wilmslow club quickly became a hub for enthusiasts, offering premium courts and a vibrant community atmosphere. Building on this success, the brand expanded to the South-West with a state-of-the-art facility at Gloucester Quays. Transforming a derelict warehouse into a nine-court padel arena with a modern clubhouse, The Padel Club has firmly established itself as a leader in the UK’s growing padel scene.
In 2024, The Padel Club secured £1.5 million investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), facilitated by Praetura Equity Finance, as part of a landmark £3.8 million funding round—the largest in UK padel history. This investment underpins the company’s ambitious plans for rapid expansion in 2025, with multiple additional clubs set to be announced soon.
Kris Ball, CEO of The Padel Club, expressed his enthusiasm for Treharne’s appointment:
“It has been invaluable having John involved with The Padel Club over the past few years. His unparalleled experience in scaling multi-site leisure businesses comes at a pivotal time for us as we embark on significant growth. I’m thrilled to welcome him as Chairman and confident that his expertise will help us achieve our goal of becoming the UK’s leading padel operator.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to Paul Gilbert, who has been a remarkable Chairman during our formative years. Paul’s leadership has been instrumental, and I’m pleased to say he will remain on the board as we enter this exciting new phase.”
John Treharne brings over 30 years of expertise in the leisure and fitness industry. A former England squash player and chartered accountant, John launched Dragons Health Clubs in 1991, which he successfully scaled to 22 clubs and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997 before selling the business in 2000.
In 2007, John founded The Gym Group, revolutionising the UK fitness industry with its high value, low cost, contract-free, 24/7 model. Under his leadership, in 2015 the company became the first UK health and fitness group to list on the London Stock Exchange in over 15 years. John remains Chair of The Gym Group Plc; the company has grown to 245 gyms nationwide and 891,000 members at the end of 2024.
Commenting on his new role, John Treharne said: “Having worked closely and successfully with Paul Gilbert for 10 years at The Gym Group, I’m honoured to take on the role of Chair at The Padel Club. Kris Ball’s vision and the team’s passion for growing the sport are truly inspiring. As both Chairman and joint investor, I’m excited to support The Padel Club’s ambitious expansion and leverage my experience in scaling businesses through PE investment, IPOs, and beyond.” With John Treharne’s leadership and significant investment backing, The Padel Club is well-positioned to lead the UK’s padel revolution.
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