Free paddle scheme in Taunton aims to boost women's participation
A free paddle scheme in Taunton has been launched to encourage more women to take up paddle sports, aiming to increase female participation in the activity.
How it was covered
- ITV was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
A free paddle scheme in Taunton is aiming to boost women's participation in the sport, which has seen a surge in popularity across the country. The initiative, run by Paddle Stars at Blackbrook Leisure Centre, offers free sessions throughout July to encourage more women to take up paddle.
Only 30% of paddle players are women, according to Pete Hawkins, club assistant at Paddle Stars. He said the free evenings, called 'she rallies', were designed to break down barriers that stop women from getting involved. 'Once they're on the court, they absolutely love it, but sometimes they feel a bit intimidated or there are other reasons they can't do it,' he explained.
The sessions have proved so popular that organisers have had to increase court time to meet demand. Participants described the sport as social, easy to pick up, and non-competitive. Jenny, who had never played a racquet sport before, said the friendly environment made it less nerve-wracking. Sue added that it was 'really good fun' and easy to arrange games with others.
The scheme is part of a wider effort to address the gender imbalance in paddle, which is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. The free sessions are expected to continue beyond July if demand remains high.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| 30% of paddle players are women. | |
| Free paddle sessions were held throughout July and were very popular, requiring increased court time. | |
| Paddle is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focused on the success of the free scheme and the social, non-competitive appeal of paddle for women. It highlighted the low participation rate (30%) and used interviews with the club assistant and two participants to show how the initiative is breaking down barriers. The tone was upbeat and encouraging, with the reporter even trying to join in.
- “but only 30% of players are women”
- “it's one of the fastest growing sports in the country and with good reason”
- “I've never played racquet sport before, so it was always a bit nerve-wracking coming along to something new, but everybody's been so friendly”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.