It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
Harrogate’s growing reputation as the “padel capital of the North” has been boosted with the launch of a new clothing and apparel company devoted to the sport.
Padel Boyz, which sells T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, skirts, socks and sweatbands for men and women, is the brainchild of former PE teacher Sonja Bancroft.
Ms Bancroft, a former Rossett School pupil who later taught at Boroughbridge High School and Boston Spa Academy, said:
“I’m thrilled to be bringing Padel Boyz to the market, and I feel like there has never been a better time to be promoting padel tennis in the UK.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to develop a range of sportswear that reflects the passion and energy of this dynamic game, and we’re confident that our customers will be delighted by the quality and fit of our range.”
We started Padel Boyz to get away from traditional tennis wear – we wanted a cooler, younger look. We’ve started simple, but we plan to add more colours and more lines, such as jumpers, later in the year.”
Padel is a sport similar to tennis but played with a solid, stringless racquet, in an enclosed court like squash. It was invented in Mexico in the 1960s, and is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
It is gaining increasing numbers of fans in our area as more opportunities to play are created. Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre, on Hookstone Wood Road, launched its first outdoor padel court in 2019, and then Surge followed in 2022 with six Adidas-branded indoor padel courts at its centre on Hornbeam Park.
Last summer, Ripon Tennis Centre opened two new outdoor padel courts, and just last month, Harrogate Spa Tennis Club opened two new outdoor courts at its home off Claro Road and has seen players book sessions from across Yorkshire.
Sonja said:
“Padel is growing in popularity in this country so fast, now seems like the perfect time to launch a brand like this.
“My aim is to create a successful, growing business, but we’ve only just launched and we’re still small, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Harrogate company achieves industry recognition
A Harrogate company has been awarded an industry recognised certificate for environmental performance.
Net zero consultancy Flotilla, based on Station Parade, achieved B Corp status, which is certified by not-for-profit organisation B Lab.
It recognises companies which meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
(Left to right) Flotilla team Mark Woodward, Grant Walker, Caroline Linford, Dan Cox, Sara Snow, Sally Wood, Helen Fox, Anthony Bagshaw, Jess Morris, Francesca Woodward, John Rastrick and Joe Hobbs.
In order to achieve the status, Flotilla went through a rigorous assessment process which examined the impact of company decisions on employees, customers, suppliers, the communities the business serves and the environment.
John Rastrick, chief executive of Flotilla, said:
“Receiving B Corp certification is an outstanding achievement for everyone here at Flotilla.
“Not only does it honour our commitment to a better future, but it provides a framework for continuous future improvement.”
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