Sports retailer Decathlon has cancelled skateboarding lessons for children at its flagship Surrey Quays store to create two new pickleball courts.
The retailer already has four courts at the site and will replace its skate area with two more. The community interest company that runs the skateboarding classes, Skate Haven, said it was told about the decision on 8 September.
The sessions for children aged six and over cost £6 per lesson or £8 with equipment. They have been held at Decathlon five times a week since 2023, with the last class scheduled for 31 October.
Skate Haven co-director Miguel Nyberg said: “This will kill the business side of us.”
The classes are the non-profit organisation’s only trading income.
Co-director Ricardo Whyte said: “It’s obviously quite short notice. If we had till the end of the year, we’d be able to think of a business alternative and an alternative space.”
Nyberg said Decathlon told Skate Haven the decision was because pickleball bookings were consistent throughout the day, while the skate area was mainly used in the evenings.
He said Skate Haven could have organised daytime school bookings if it had been given more notice.
Nyberg said: “We’ve recently put in a big effort to get into schools in the area. This could have been a good opportunity.”
Whyte said the decision would have serious consequences for the children they teach.
“A lot of kids that come to our sessions don’t have a skate park close to their house,” he said.
“There are a few parks, but they can get a bit ropey, especially when it gets too dark. There’s also a lot of neurodivergent kids that come to our space, and they feel safe there.
“Skate Haven caters to kids that want to get into skateboarding in a really safe manner, and that’s been taken away now.”
Fifteen-year-old Phoenix Love, from Denmark Hill, has attended the classes since they began and recently started volunteering as a skating tutor.
“I’m completely devastated. It just came out of nowhere. It’s a big part of my life,” he said.
“At local parks, people aren’t that friendly, especially towards beginners and children. There’s a sense of community at Skate Haven. It boosts my confidence and self-esteem.”
Phoenix’s mother, Lucy Woodford, said: “When Phoenix wanted to learn skateboarding, it was £50 for a lesson, so we couldn’t really afford it. Then we found Skate Haven, and we started going multiple times a week. It’s such a big loss for us because it’s become part of our everyday life.”
The decision comes after Barking Skate Park, an indoor skating venue in east London, closed in August to make way for padel courts.
John Postlethwaite, founder of website the Pickleball Directory, said pickleball and padel are the world’s fastest-growing racket sports.
He said: “Anyone from seven to 70 can play pickleball. In London, it’s attractive because of the issue of space. Pickleball has a mobile net and can share space with things.
Skate Haven’s Ricardo Whyte said the decision appeared to contradict Decathlon’s focus on social impact and community on its website.
He said: “No kids play pickleball. It’s just unfair.”
Decathlon was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
Feature image credit: Joshua Tompkins
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