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Natasha Preville – Being The Change We Want To See…

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As we near the halfway mark in 2021, I reflect on my journey as an Independent Director at Parkour UK. Entering my second year of service, I remain in awe at the resilience, growth and transformative power of our Sport and practice. We have all experienced a year like no other and the team have worked tirelessly to provide guidance and support to our communities and practitioners in any way they could. We have strived to build sustainable ecosystems through widening engagements, participation, strategy and investment that continue to enable Parkour and the dynamic and adaptable nature of its practice, to thrive, ‘Moving with Purpose’ through 2021 and beyond.

 

Sport England Award:

Since our last update earlier in the year, we are delighted to announce Parkour UK will be a recipient of continued Sport England funding, testament to their support in the development of Parkour UK as a National Governing Body. The award of £120,240 will help sustain our Executive capacity in 2021/22; prioritising areas such as strategy, financial sustainability, insight and governance.

 

Extension of Sub Committees and Working groups:

One of the many reasons I love my work as an Independent Director for Parkour UK is the unwavering commitment of my fellow peers, our Exec team and expanding Workforce Committees, Partners and Supporters; they bring to life the ambition and demonstration of a modern, progressive governing body: One that is customer facing and works collaboratively to coproduce with and through the community.

Our ‘Moving with Purpose’ strategy has continued to meet fruition as we build and grow in the following areas: Digital Workforce, Space & Place, Economy, Mental Health, Life course (all age / intergenerational activity), Inclusion & Diversity and Storytelling. I am particularly excited to be involved in driving forward our work in the realm of Diversity & Inclusion. As a society and as a human being within it, if this year has taught us anything, for me, there is no place for division, we ALL know that in authentic unity, there is strength.  To this end, during the Summer, we plan to bring together four more Sub-Committees and Working Groups to strengthen our work in Diversity & Inclusion, Space & Place, Digital and Storytelling.

 

Unstructured Insight:

We want to build on the insight report on the structured community launched in September 2020 by David Butler. In response, we have commissioned a second report for the unstructured community, working again with David Butler.  In addition, Rob Young (RY Consulting) will work with us to build capacity in order to help us gain an independent view / perspective.   We endeavour to initially speak with 15 – 20 Companies to explore; their brands, businesses, income streams, barriers and challenges, campaigns and causes, services and support, quick wins and immediate concerns (not a short list).

Parkour UK is also cognizant of our structured communities and to that end, we want to take a deep-dive approach to gain a comprehensive insight into some well-known Parkour names and brands within the unstructured world: Our initial work will include brands such as Ampisound, Jimmy the Giant, MOTUS etc.

 

Observations on the Digital Roadmap:

Digital literacy, marketing and engagement is important now, more than ever. We are living in a normalcy where the video call is king. As Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease, Parkour UK have kept the lens on the development of our Digital Roadmap, produced by 7 League and first shared in February 2021. As part of our due diligence, we looked at a variety of lifestyle Sports and it quickly became apparent we had numerous similarities with Skateboard GB.  With this identified, March 2021 saw us convene meetings with Lewis Wiltshire and Lenka Istvanova (7 League) and Adam Freeman-Pask (Sport England) to explore the next steps… Unity is strength, once more, through shared insights around community engagement, areas for development and sustainable growth. The outcomes of the meeting concluded the key areas of focus would be; digital strategy, systems and processes and content and community engagement. We are thrilled to be in a position to continue working with 7 League and wider partners to further develop our Digital Strategy… Watch this space for updates.

 

Progress with Community and Stakeholder Relationships:

Our most recent CEO Report, by Dan Newton continued to make encouraging reading, particularly in reference to structured and unstructured relationships monitored between September 2020 and April 2021; all of which showed growth, improved engagement, where numerous relationships were viewed as “positive with intent to support”. This is humbling news as we continue to grow steadily and we very much look forward to building on our new and existing relationships during the next phase(s) of our development.

 

Diversity and Inclusion: Women’s Empowerment

Last, but certainly not least, I want to highlight a(nother) area close to my heart and the shared ambition of Parkour UK and our communities.  Giving a platform, giving a space and place, giving (back) of power and reflecting and learning, then doing better, is the order of the day, when I think of empowering women in sport. Entering the second round of the programme, we are working in tandem with Women in Sport, to look at the perspective of women in Parkour and the stories they tell; including, but not limited to, the lack of female role models, lack of representation in Parkour media, barriers to entering / engaging with Parkour to name a few.  When exploring the lifecycle of sporting activity, it was found ‘girls tend to stop doing sport as they reach their teens’, furthermore, ‘women doing sport want to feel included and integrated into their communities and want do sport as part of their lifestyle’. We all have a commitment to make this happen.  We continue to proudly work with Women in Sport to help us eradicate inequality of access, experience and participation with Parkour, through storytelling, content creation and media; promoting equitable access, positive role models, all within safe and inclusive environments. 

As we all adapt our lives and overcome unforeseen challenges, we gain insights, we learn, we grow and we do better. We have entered unchartered territory with boundaries constantly shifting in the world around us, however, Parkour UK remains stalwart in our commitment and we continue to work tirelessly to ensure, as a National Governing Body, we uphold and demonstrate the change we want to see.

 

Natasha Preville

Independent Director

Parkour UK Board

Development Associates: Storytelling lifestyle sport in 80 days

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We are pleased to be launching the second round of our development associates programme this week, which will run during May, June, July and August. The initiative that we started last year has two primary aims, firstly to give Parkour UK some additional capacity to make headway in our Moving with Purpose strategy. Secondly (and most importantly) to help lift people up, give some hungry, motivated and ambitious people the opportunity to make a difference and complement their CV with an experience of lifestyle sport.

This next batch of projects will propel us forward in the areas of insight, space / place, diversity & inclusion and storytelling. The people with contribute eighty days time pro bono which if framed within our organisations structure would be a member of staff for nearly 19 weeks or if we paid on a consultancy basis we would be looking at costs of around £11,000. The associates will all receive a benefits package that includes a reference / recommendation, an introduction to a leader in the sector who will be well placed to add value to their career, a Thomas International PPA profile with feedback and a complimentary CIMSPA management membership.

The programme has evolved from the first round of projects that we co-ordinated between November 20 and January 21, within the second round:

  • We will work in partnership with other organisations, the projects will be collaborations that work on shared problems. Surfing England and Snowsport England are joining us on a project that will explore the commonalities of roles in lifestyle sport. Women in Sport will help us tell the story of prominent female practitioners from the parkour world. A central part of our vision is to work in collaboration with likeminded and similarly motivated organisations to share services and contribute to a modernised sports sector which is more financially sustainable, better uses resources and relies less on government / lottery funds. 
  • Associates have been recruited from the parkour community to ensure the projects connect with companies, brands and practitioners so that the results are authentic. Another central part to our vision is to build a structure that is underpinned by the community, incorporating voluntary effort through ex oficio roles and professionals / specialists through paid roles recruited against sector standards.
  • We are working with Sheffield Hallam University to offer their students a lived experience in lifestyle sport. The opportunity is part of an applied learning module within the MSc Sport Business Management course and the international students will bring a different perspective to the projects.

Projects

The five projects that the associates will work on all respond to gaps in our insight or challenges experienced by the parkour community. Over the coming weeks we will share blogs authored by practitioners which explain the problem and why the solution is important, for now though the projects are:

Parkour Parks – Overview of the parkour parks built across the UK and an explanation of their strengths and the preparation of a toolkit for groups and organisations that would like to commission or build a park.

Movement Card – Extension of the Movement Card to England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a communications plan to articulate what parkour is and isn’t.

Lifestyle Sport Roles – Explanation of the roles that exist within lifestyle sport which include coaching / instructor roles, company administration, content creation, athletes and elite performers, park designers, fashion and the media.

Empowering Women – Telling authentic stories of women participating in parkour through blogs, articles and media which outline entry points and barriers to participation.

Unstructured Insight – Listening to practitioners and brands from the unstructured community to explore their business, income streams, barriers and challenges, campaigns and causes, services and support, quick wins and immediate concerns.

 

People

The associates have been recruited from a wide range of backgrounds:

Sports Development Intent – This group are Charlie Broughton, Matt Hinchley, Carly Jones, Beth Marriott, Aislin O’Kelly, George Relf, Sam Strickson and Matt Watkiss, all share  a passion for sport and the impact that it can have on people’s lives. Collectively they draw experiences from governing bodies, national sports bodies and healthcare and all are keen to develop themselves in the areas of service improvement, business functions and operations / risk management.

Parkour – This group are Sam Coppack, Hugo Knowles, Chris Martin, Angus Uren, Louiseanne Wong and Kieran Wylde, all active practitioners and bring with them many years of training. Their experiences include coaching, running companies, performance, content creation and podcasting and they are keen to experience sports development and the operations of a national organisation.

Students – This group are Eleni Giagmouroglou and Foteini Tsoutsoura who are students at Sheffield Hallam University. They are engaging as part of an applied learning module through which they will submit a piece of work (12,000 words) which outlines the impact of the project on the host organisation (Parkour UK) and gives some reflections on their own development.

We look forward progressing each project and will plan to share the outputs in August / September.

If you would like to discuss the development associates programme; you may be interested in partnering with Parkour UK, supporting the benefits package or being an associate. Please get in touch via any of the following ways.

Sion Kitson – Reflections on the Workforce Sub Committee

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Embarking on a Journey Back to its Roots

Since being invited to join the Parkour UK Workforce Sub-Committee 6 months ago it has been a privilege to witness and contribute to a fascinating journey where a sport is determined to provide great experiences not only for its participants but for its workforce too. The purpose of this committee is to develop and grow a Parkour ecosystem where the people that are the catalysts for the sport; the volunteers, coaches, tutors, administrators and private providers feel supported and valued to meet the needs of their customers as well as their own. To achieve this ambition the makeup of the committee consists of a range of technical Parkour experts and individuals with broader coaching and workforce development knowledge.

It is a vibrant group that is passionate about coaching and improving the journey its people who are delivering Parkour are on. In listening to the lived experiences of those members who are far more knowledgeable on the sport than I, it feels like it is a journey back to its roots. It is this notion that excites me as my limited perception of Parkour is one that appears grounded in a feeling of freedom, exploration and a strong sense of community.

As in society, sport and physical activity is changing and the 12m or so participants in receipt of coaching every year are demanding a more personalised experience that aligns with their own motivations and aspirations for being active. Like a number of organisations who exist to help people get and stay active, Parkour UK have recognised the fundamental role its people play and have a clear ambition to reframe coaching and place greater value on supporting its coaching workforce, whether they are volunteers or paid professionals.

Servicing the Short Term to Thrive in the Long Term

Coaching has been adversely impacted over the last 12 months as a result of the pandemic and Parkour UK acknowledge there are many individual circumstances where coaches, providers and school teachers require immediate support to ensure they are able to continue to engage the people in front of them effectively. Parkour UK are working hard to service that need by providing emergency coaching courses and redesigning various course content and delivery.

However, beyond the short term is a bolder long-term vision to create a more individualised and situated learning and development experience for its coaching workforce. What does that mean you ask? In short Parkour UK are aiming to establish the roots of the sport as prominent features in supporting the development of its future coaching workforce. 

At the last Workforce committee meeting in April I listened to the stories of those within the group with many years of practising and delivering Parkour. They speak to a higher purpose of the sport being centred in; promoting a sense of curiosity about self, nurturing and growing an inclusive community, connecting with others to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, fostering environments built around exploration, and supporting a self-improvement culture that permeates across the entire Parkour eco-system.  

For a relative outsider who has a keen interest in coaching and supporting people to realise the potential that they wish to achieve these are truly exciting steps to be considering.

Connecting its Roots to Coaching

Parkour UK are at the beginning of this journey and are keen to hear from its community to help them understand how they might achieve this vision. With that said, even in these early days a few fragments have emerged on this potential direction of travel;

  • Nurture a learning and development philosophy that centres on inclusion and the welfare of its people
  • Grow a coach development offer that is shaped by the Parkour Community
  • Offer a blend of contextual face to face and digital learning and development opportunities built around the idea of exploration
  • Provide situated coach developer opportunities that support, positively challenge and stetch individuals relevant to their specific context
  • Foster a diverse network of Parkour coaches across a range of settings where they are curious to learn, share and develop together

The Difference

Creating an ecosystem of this nature will take time and effort and fundamental to its success is bringing the Parkour Community on the journey working with them to shape a future everyone wants to be a part of. If this can be achieved over the next 5 years we would like to think that Parkour will have a coaching workforce made up of amazing people with the behaviours, knowledge and skills to offer great experiences to many more participants and that those participants receive a great experience to the extent where they build a lifelong passion and desire to be active.

And lastly, why is this important to me. Well, for two reasons. Firstly, I am passionate about coaching, my role at Sport England is to support the sector to create a highly respected, valued and motivated volunteer and professional coaching workforce that is representative of the communities they serve and being involved in this project aligns with that shared ambition. And secondly, on a more personal level I am a father of a 6 year old who has been attending Parkour classes in Milton Keynes with Paramount Parkour since last September and I am keen to ensure his experiences and those of every child who enter a Parkour environment are truly transformational for their a physical, mental and social well-being.

Sion Kitson

Development Manager (Coaching & Professional Workforce)

Sport England

Recruitment: Teacher’s CPD Tutors

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Parkour UK is at a pivotal point in its development and executive capacity has now been in place for 6 months to deliver a strategy which supports the community to thrive.  

In relation to the ‘Grow our community’ outcome in our ‘Move with Purpose’ strategy we have developed new course material and content for our 1st 4 Sport Introductory Award in Teaching Parkour/Freerunning.

This is a one–day course for school teachers to allow them to develop a parkour offering within their PE content. 

With high demand for these courses, we would like to recruit a team of approx. 6 Teacher’s CPD tutors based across the UK who can deliver this one–day course on a freelance basis to teachers.  

To Apply: 
Download the full Role Description and details here.

Send a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role. The cover letter should refer to your key knowledge and skills related to the role. The key responsibilities, knowledge and skills are listed below. Please also include the region in which you would mainly expect to deliver. 

Please send applications and any questions to – Chris.grant@parkour.uk Development Manager, Parkour UK 

Closing date for applications: Midnight Sunday 18 April.

University Toolkit and Group Launch!

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This week, our Universities toolkit launches – designed as a tool to support those who are  interested in the options for setting up a Parkour society at their university or college.

Alongside this, we have set up a facebook group for parkour university societies to connect here. 

The group will be supported by Hugo Knowles and Sonia Marshall – two practitioners both involved in the development of parkour while at university.  You can see their profiles below.

Photo Credit – Richard Marshall https://www.instagram.com/rmmarshall/

Sonia has kindly taken the time to talk about why she thinks that university parkour opportunities are important:

If you haven’t looked into it before, you may be surprised how many parkour clubs and societies are already set up in universities across the UK – at our latest count we have found 17 – all providing a way for students to discover the sport and find a community of like-minded people. With the support of Parkour UK we’d like to build stronger connections between these existing clubs, and help students in setting up new clubs and with any barriers faced when running clubs.

Often students arriving at university have moved to a new city and don’t know the area well or have any friends there. Parkour provides a way for students to get to know the city and own the space by exploring all the spots, and a way to make friendships that may last throughout their time at university.

Based on our experience at the Edinburgh University Parkour Club, there are a variety of ways students find out about the club. Sometimes people want to start parkour and assume there is already a club. Sometimes people don’t realise there is a parkour club, discover our stall at the sports fair and immediately sign up because they always wanted to try it. Sometimes people have never even heard of parkour before seeing us, get a bit curious and end up joining in. Some students join as a form of exercise once per week, some end up living the whole parkour lifestyle – watching videos, travelling to train in other cities and countries, attending bigger events… and wherever they are on that range, they’re a valuable part of the university parkour community, and the wider parkour community too.

The (usually) small parkour clubs and societies are a great way of introducing people to the wider community. Students can start training with the smaller university group, where lots of the others are new to the city as well, and can get comfortable with that. Then gradually they can get more involved through jams with the local non-student training community, club trips abroad, and meeting students from other universities. 

In April 2019, around 40 students from 14 different universities gathered for a weekend of jamming, classes and socialising. Students travelling from other cities were hosted by local practitioners. This was The Big Edinburgh JUMP – the first UK-wide inter-university parkour event. Although it must have been the rainiest parkour event any of us had ever experienced, that didn’t dampen our spirits and we managed to have a smashing time, and make some great connections. 

We look forward to strengthening this network of clubs and societies, so each can support the other, and most importantly, outside of pandemic times, meet up and jam together. 

We encourage anyone who is training parkour at a university where there isn’t an official club to get in touch, ask for advice – and go ahead and start up that club! With the support of your university you’ll be amazed at how many new students you can reach, and spread the love of parkour.

Sonia

Photo Credit – https://www.facebook.com/jaronlevittpkfr/

Hi, I’m Hugo and I study for a BA in Theatre & Performance at the University of Leeds. I’ve trained parkour for 6.5 years and used to coach with Project Z Parkour in Manchester. As a bisexual parkour practitioner, I’m passionate about inclusion and diversity in the parkour community – my DMs are always open for anyone wanting a chat and/or a safe space to discuss these topics! Although Leeds doesn’t have a parkour society, I do research into parkour/space/performance as part of the Laidlaw Scholarship for six weeks every summer, and recently presented my research at the uni’s Undergraduate Research Experience conference. I’m buzzing to meet other university parkour people and (post-COVID) travel to your unis to train – we all know uni campuses have the best spots!

Photo Credit – https://www.donalddalziel.com/

Hello, I’m Sonia, a fourth year student studying Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. I started parkour aged 10 and I’m still just as excited about jumping around! I am the founder and president of the Edinburgh University Parkour Club, and a coach at Access Parkour. I love to travel to train in different cities and countries and meet other parkour communities. I can’t wait to get back to jamming and making more connections between the university communities across the UK.

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