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Qualification Statement – Parkour UK

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Since 2017 Parkour UK’s qualifications have been separate and distinct from the ADAPT Qualifications Ltd. certifications and do not form part of the same system or pathway of qualification.

The delivery, awarding and administering of these qualifications is completely distinct and not related.

Holding a certificate in ADAPT Level 1, 2 or 3 does not also transfer to the Parkour UK qualifications listed below. This means that currently an ADAPT qualified coach cannot sign off hours for a Parkour UK qualified coach and vice versa.  This has been a subject of some confusion for our workforce over the last 4 – 5 years and we are aware the distinction has not been communicated clearly.

We recognise that there are a small cohort of Level 2 coaches who participated in courses around 2015 – 18 who were unaware of the changes emerging and may have been left with no clear distinction of who recognises their qualification. This could prevent access to Parkour UK insurance or prohibit them from signing off Level 1 coaches.

To rectify this and allow Parkour UK and our workforce to progress we are offering a reduced rate reassessment for any Level 2 coaches who have both:

  • A Level 2 certificate which does not feature the Parkour UK Logo AND
  • Completed their Level 2 qualification between 2015 and 2018 in the UK.

Reassessment dates will be set as soon as possible and you can contact Chris Grant – Development Manager at Parkour UK for further details. On completion of reassessment you will be issued with a Parkour UK Level 2 Qualification.

Parkour UK recognises that the early relationship with ADAPT has been fundamental in the growth of the Parkour workforce and are pleased to see that ADAPT Qualifications Ltd. continues to thrive around the world.  Our role is distinctly to develop the UK workforce and we believe our qualifications and infrastructure should be led directly by our staff & tutors in-house. The direction of our qualifications offering can be influenced by our members through the Workforce sub committee which is made up of representatives from our membership, tutors, board and external qualifications experts.

Parkour UK’s Current Qualifications:

Parkour UK – as the national governing body for Parkour in the UK – offer the following qualifications listed below.

They are valid for coaching Parkour in the UK and also recognised as the only valid qualifications that must be held under Parkour UK’s insurance. This insurance is accessed through professional or affiliate + membership.

Assistant Coach:

1st4 Sport Level 1 Assistant Coaching in Parkour and Freerunning (RQF)

Coach:

1st 4 Sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Parkour and Freerunning (RQF)

Teachers:

Introductory CPD Award in Teaching Parkour and Freerunning (QTS)

These qualifications are Awarded by 1st 4 Sport, regulated by Ofqual and mapped to CIMPSA professional standards.

The qualifications are subject to assessment and internal/external verification in line with our awarding body.

Please direct any queries in relation to this statement to the following contacts.

Contact:

Parul Agarwal – Interim CEO Parkour UK – parul.agarwal@parkour.uk

Simon Vardy – Workforce Lead – simon.vardy@parkour.uk

This Statement was agreed by Parkour UK’s Workforce Sub Committee on 11/01/2021.

All mentioned parties were sent the statement prior to its publication.

This statement was amended to update the contact details on 18/07/2023.

Download the statement here.

One Minute Brief: Advertise Parkour

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They say when popular culture starts to joke about you, you know have hit the mainstream. For Parkour –  to the amusement and annoyance of parkour athletes everywhere – this has come to be known as THAT clip from the American office. I will say no more……..

Parkour has entered the zeitgeist in lots of ways with and without the help of the community itself – some funny, some silly, some annoying and some creative. This week, the popular Twitter account @OneMinuteBriefs jumped over the proverbial Parkour wall. The account has a simple premise. Each day they post a short design brief for marketers, designers and creators who then respond with their designs in the comments. We were really excited to see this brief appear last week:

One minute briefs also chose their favourites and hosted them on facebook here – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=OneMinuteBriefs&set=a.1672226656272743

It was really interesting to see what came out and exciting to think that Parkour is now in the popular culture ‘canon’ enough for designers to come up with ideas quickly.

Some were fun, some were slick, some reinforced stereotypes – but all shine a light on our sport in their own way. Our community can be a little guilty (ourselves included) of being precious about messaging. Sometimes it’s important to allow people to have fun and be creative with our perceptions of Parkour and we welcome this!

 We’ve featured some of our favourites below – full credit to all the entries and you can explore their twitter accounts by clicking through to the original tweets.

Enjoy!

Chris

‘P’ is for Parkour and Progressive… by Hannah Holland

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Hi, I’m Hannah, I am hugely passionate about the sport sector, having had the privilege to have worked in the sector, and also been active and involved in sport all of my life.  It was an honour to have been asked to reflect on Parkour UK’s November Board meeting.  My role at Parkour UK is still relatively new, having joined the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in April this year.  What an exciting, but unsettled time it has been for Parkour, and the sport & fitness sector in general.

What has struck me time and time again since joining the Board is the momentum at which Parkour UK is moving forward. Dan Newton, a visionary CEO, has only officially been in his role since July; Dan was joined in September by Chris Grant, Development Manager, and Omar Jackson, Development Co-ordinator – and the breadth and depth of work coming from a small executive team is outstanding. I have no doubt in my mind that Parkour UK can achieve what it sets out to, plus reach Tier 3 of the Code for Sports Governance and become a High Performing Board. As a national governing body (NGB) still in its infancy (and within its first year of public funding), the team are already doing everything possible to over deliver.

With the last board meeting coinciding with the AGM, and with new staff just one week in, it’s incredible to see so much has already happened in such a short space of time.  This meeting was scheduled for three hours and it was packed to the brim with exciting developments. I am going to share information below on four key areas which definitely pack a punch!

Covid Response

There is strong support from the board to be proactive and not allow the Parkour community to suffer exponentially at the hands of Covid. As we navigate through these unprecedented times, the board have discussed the current impact of Covid19 and the potential impact on the structured community if an extended period of lockdown happens. The community’s voices are being heard louder than ever before and we are listening and taking action.  There are various ways that the community is being impacted, as a board we considered the projected monthly running costs for Parkour companies, the number of coaches who will have been impacted and the exact levels of participation. All of which are having an effect on their bottom line.

There is an appetite to prepare a ‘build back better’ model, through which support could be offered to Parkour companies and practitioners. Exactly how this looks is yet to be determined, but there was an unanimous vote at this meeting in favour of taking action, so the wheels are now firmly in motion. 

Development Associate Programme

Parkour UK has devised a leadership programme to bolster the executive capacity of the NGB in 2020/21.  The executive team have recruited eight sports development professionals to form the first cohort.  Importantly, this will secure an additional 40 days capacity between November 2020 and January 2021 to support the team to ‘run the governing body’ and ‘grow the sport’. The primary driver for the participants is that the experience they will gain will be aligned to an area of the CIMPSA sector standards that they have selected.

They will be working on one of four projects, which include a Toolkit for Emerging Parkour Businesses, Education Partnerships (School), Education Partnerships (University/Higher Education), and a Funding Directory.

I am looking forward to seeing the direct impact from these projects in the Parkour community, both at a local and national level.

Diversity & Inclusion Brains Trust

“Parkour is for everyone”… this is how Independent Board member Natasha Preville started her recent blog on this very important subject, which we as a governing body embed into everything we do.  Not content with thinking we know our community and where they stand on this subject, we held a consultation event on the 11th November with 20+ members of the Parkour community and guest speakers from Women in Sport, Stonewall, Sporting Equals ad UKEMI to openly discuss equality and diversity and how we as a sport and a NGB are faring.

We have since orchestrated the Brains Trust, which will take place on the 14th December. We have invited organisations working in the sports sector to this session which will shape our ambitions and plans for the future.

We are also championing Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign which gets behind LGBT inclusion in sport. We have sent out rainbow laces to the Parkour community to get behind the campaign and we plan to amplify the social media posts shared by our community on Rainbow Laces Day, 9th December.

Governance Ambitions

In the last couple of months, a 24-point action plan has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of Tier 2a of the Code for Sports Governance and lay the foundation for Tier 3. Board appraisals have been scheduled for this month, along with a CPD session for all Board members in January. A small number of Board members, including myself, will oversee the progress being made and keep us on track.

Dan Newton is most definitely a mover and a shaker.  Watch out for how the structure of Parkour UK shifts over the next few months…our ambition for the NGB is that of a modern, progressive governing body that is customer facing and works collaboratively to co-produce with and through the community. To this end, we are exploring a potential scheme of delegation so not only can we ‘build the governing body’, but we can ‘grow the sport’ too.

In conclusion, how have I found my first eight months in post? 

Well, exactly what I hoped for… I am constantly inspired.  I actually get quite choked up with the passion of everyone involved, and I am really excited for Parkour and Parkour UK’s future. In 2021 I will take the opportunity to get out and #GiveParkourAGo as well as meeting practitioners and members of the community.

Parkour Earth Issues Letter to IOC 

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Parkour UK stand by Parkour Earth and the letter they issued to the IOC on 1 December 2020. The letter calls for their executive board to reject any FIG submission to include Parkour in the Olympic programme on the 7 December 2020. Parkour is a recognised sport in its own right and as such cannot be considered a discipline or subsidiary to gymnastics or any other sport. Parkour has its own community, ethos, infrastructure and governance and our community are not behind this movement towards the Olympics that is being driven by FIG. 

You can find out more on Parkour Earth’s Progress here – parkour.earth and if you are interested in the previous work in relation to FIG’s encroachment of Parkour you can find out more here – EDITORIAL – The FIG Saga: The Story So Far | Parkour Earth  

United We Stand … 2020 and Beyond by Natasha Preville

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“Parkour is for everyone” … Sits at the core of our work and although at first glance may not seem ‘ground-breaking’, it is one of the (many) factors that made Parkour UK attractive to me when I was looking to support an emerging and progressive sports organisation. However, the term ‘for everyone’ was challenged during a recent consultation event, with interested members of our community and stakeholders who are actively driving inclusion in the sports sector.  It transpired that although Parkour, in theory, is accessible, inclusive and open for all, it is nuanced in practice… Because, there is still a need, as always, to tailor a focussed approach to ensure authentic and ethical representation of our communities and through us demonstrating understanding and support of their needs…

Therefore, in our ongoing commitment to further develop a truly inclusive and representative sport, our work in 2020 and beyond is outlined as follows:

Establishing relationships

Parkour UK are keen to develop allyship with key stakeholders who are driving change in Diversity and Inclusion; joining up with  organisations that are as passionate as us. The involvement of Stonewall, Sporting Equals and Women in Sport, was a catalytic moment and their directives will inspire our community to act, with purpose. Parkour is, by its very nature, inclusive and rights focussed and we believe everyone is entitled to equitable opportunity to access. 

Sporting Equals are impassioned to create healthier, fairer and stronger communities. Through their Charter they highlight the  importance of capturing insights to increase ethnic diversity; committing people to move to action and celebrating positive stories. Nik Trivedi and Emily Carter stressed the importance of reinforcing their message through role models, noting the necessity for people to see the same message 5+ times before they act. The challenge was placed to reach out to Black, Asian and ethnically representative media outlets and making individual and specific contact with local organisations.

Kate Nicholson from Women in Sport spoke comprehensively about the ‘gender gap starting young’ and the negative impact this has on activity levels from early experiences through to adulthood. It was noted that 75% of girls have heard disparaging comments about ‘girls in sport’, which makes girls aged 7-21 less likely to say what they think and negatively impacts their confidence (see Girlguiding Attitudes Survey). Finally, Kate highlighted eight principles for success which the Parkour community can embrace and set the challenge to ‘Hold the door open for everyone’. 

The Stonewall contribution was made by Erin Walters-Williams, who outlined the work of Stonewall Sport. Their work ranges from  campaigns and partnerships, to education and policy: Talking through a timeline of the key milestones in the UK and highlighting LGBTQI+ experiences.  Erin then drew our attention to the ‘inclusive quadrant’ tool, which highlights positive / negative and active / passive  behaviours. The challenge was set as our collective and personal responsibility to ‘embrace difference and act to create a more inclusive environment’

Community awareness

The response during the consultation was fantastic: David Banks and Chrissie Ardill from UKEMI talked about their innovative project that they have successfully delivered to train five new coaches from the LGBT and Black, Asian and ethnically representative communities.

Questions that were posed included:

  • How can we ensure the physical parkour space is inclusive and welcoming?
  • How can we address / redress negative stereotypes of members in our community engaging in their outdoor practice?
  • How can we bring to life and share the ‘unseen’ experiences of our most experienced practitioners?

The vibrancy and broad range of contributions made it obvious that the topic is one that generates interest and the desire to make  a difference was palpable. This is an ongoing conversation and through our evolution as a progressive and inclusive NGB, we will share the views, needs and advocacy taking place in and with our communities.

Everyone’s responsibility 

We have taken a few (new) meaningful steps forward since the consultation event, however, we recognise that we need to go further, always. This is not a ‘soft’ option, everyone is accountable, personally, professionally and socially. Dare I say it, if you are not (actively) part of the solution, you are arguably, potentially passively, part of the problem… To this end, before 2021, Parkour UK will publish an action plan that outlines how we will champion inclusion and diversity, working with and through our community and specialist stakeholders, to stand with us and drive our plans forward. 

In December, we will invite a collection of partners from the sports sector to co-produce the action plan and in the new year we will set  out ways that the community can contribute to the work. 

For now though… We are making a call to action for our communities to get (further) involved, including:

  • Support the Rainbow Laces campaign in November / December. We are sending out laces to our Affiliate/Affiliate+ members, everyone who attended the consultation and everyone who represents Parkour UK.
  • Finding useful and safe ways to encourage new groups into your community that you have never invited before.
    In any other year Christmas Jams would have been ideal – in the pandemic situation we would encourage you to extend invites to any micro-jams, online events or other COVID friendly solutions. 
  • Get involved in the conversation by posting three pieces of media that are different to what you would usually share.

If you would like to get involved please contact us through either Chris, Omar or Dan. #GiveParkourAGo

 

 

“The time is always right to do what is right” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Coaching and Gyms Consultation Session

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Over October and November we will be hosting a series of open consultations to gather opinions of the community and assess what actions we can take to support. These will all be free and take place on Zoom.

Our first one is about Coaching & Gyms and will feature short presentations from Viv Jackson from Train Hard parkour and John Hall from Access Parkour about the journeys they’ve been through, followed by an open discussion. Tickets are available here

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