The East Midlands’ premier retail and leisure destination, Derbion, is set to become home to 10 padel courts and a new skatepark after agreeing two groundbreaking leasing agreements with community sports operators Social Sports Society and Flo Skatepark.
Founded in London as a way of uniting communities through sport, Social Sports Society will be bringing its innovative offering to Derbion after signing a five-year lease for 54,773sq ft of space to transform one part of the former Eagle Market area.
This will be Social Sports Society’s third location outside of London with venues already in Birmingham and Manchester. Its new facility at Derbion will be one of the largest indoor padel centres in the UK and is set to open this autumn.
Padel has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports in recent years, thanks to its fun and easy-to-learn rules, its highly sociable nature and its accessibility to all ages and abilities. Played on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court with back walls for the ball to bounce off, the game is designed for four players and encourages social interaction. This new space at Derbion will bring the sport to the heart of the city centre and will attract players of all ages, with Social Sports Society planning to offer free or discounted sessions for schools and local community groups.
Flo Skatepark will be joining Social Sports Society after signing a five-year lease for a 20,828sq ft space. A charity which is supported by funding from Sport England and accredited by Skateboard GB, Flo Skatepark will use this space to create a world-class hub for skateboarding in the East Midlands.
Hosting regular events throughout the year, Flo Skatepark will also offer lessons for people of all ages and abilities as it aims to encourage Derby residents to get active, get involved and get creative by trying out a new sport.
Flo Skatepark will also use the space as a venue for community events and exhibitions, as well as collaborations with leading partner brands such as Vans.
Both these exciting openings will coincide with the completion of Derbion’s Eastern Gateway development which will transform this area of the city as well as create a new feature façade and urban garden for Derbion. It continues Derbion’s journey of becoming the leading day out destination in the East Midlands and this growing leisure offering coincides with the centre’s partnership with the newly opened Valliant Live arena which has helped increase footfall and spend in centre especially among F&B operators.
