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The right of self-determination and common unity brings the international Parkour community together to federate and establish the International Federation – ‘Parkour Earth’

As a result of a clear and demonstrable common unity and purpose within the international community, a number of National Federations reached an accord on the 4th July 2017 to establish Parkour Earth as the International Federation for Parkour/Freerunning/Art Du Déplacement – our sport, our community, our culture, our identity.

The six founding National Federations are Parkour UK (GBR), Fédération de Parkour (FRA), New Zealand Parkour – Tauhōkai Aotearoa  (NZL), Australian Parkour Association (AUS), Parkour South Africa (ZAF) &  Polska Federacja Parkour i Freerun (POL).

The accord by the founding member National Federations has had approval of their Boards, members and/or communities – including Parkour UK, where it was approved by Board and then unanimously approved members/community at our 2017 AGM on Saturday 8th July 2017.

Following the transparent and democratic approval of the accord, Parkour Earth was incorporated on the 12th July 2017 and registered at Companies House in the UK.

Parkour Earth have appointed a transitional Board and they have nominated an appointed our CEO, Eugene Minogue at interim CEO of Parkour Earth up to their 2019 AGM.

Parkour UK is proud to be a founding member of Parkour Earth

Download a full copy of the public announcement in English here and French here.

#GiveParkourAGo

‪Data from Sport England‘s #ActiveLives Survey shows participation figures of 96,700 in Parkour/Freerunning!

It’s great to finally see Parkour/Freerunning featuring in the participation figures in the new Active Lives Survey – Year 1 Report

The data on those (16+) in England that have participated in Parkour/Freerunning showed over 96,700* had taken part at least twice in the last 28 days! Almost twice the size of Skateboarding, three times the size of Judo and almost four times the size of Triathlon!

Find our more about the Active Lives Survey on Sport England’s website.

The data certainly demonstrates the reach, breadth and depth of Parkour/Freerunning, not just in England, but across the UK and our community. 

We certainly feel that Parkour UK and our community have plenty to contribute to the Sport England strategy. In addition to the Government strategy #SportingFuture, coordinated by Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the strategic plans of Sport Wales, Sportscotland & Sport Northern Ireland

#GiveParkourAGo

*(table 8 row 50)

Parkour UK is pleased to announce the provisional 2017 dates & locations for our Awards, CPD & Qualifications.

Please note that the dates, locations and courses may change throughout the year. Additional courses may be added throughout 2017 to meet sufficient need and demand.

• Parkour UK 1st4sport Level 1 Award for Activators [Parkour/Freerunning]
• Parkour UK 1st4sport Level 1 Award & Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Parkour/Freerunning (QCF)

2017 provisional course dates & locations:

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If you would like further information please contact us on: info@parkour.uk or 020 3544 5834.

Please note: Dates/venues/courses are subject to change. #GiveParkourAGo

The UK has become the first country in the world to officially recognise Parkour/Freerunning as a sport, after the Home Country Sports Councils approved Parkour UK’s application for recognition of the sport and the National Governing Body.

The recognition of Parkour/Freerunning as a sport & Parkour UK as the National Governing Body (NGB) by the Home Country Sports Councils – Sport England, Sport Wales, sportscotland, Sport Northern Ireland and UK Sport follows completion of the UK recognition process by Parkour UK.

Parkour UK began the formal recognition process in March 2013, with the pre application for recognition approved in March 2014. The full application for recognition was submitted in August 2015 and was recommended for approval by the UK Recognition Panel in Dec 2015. During 2016 the Boards of the Home Country Sports Councils approved the full application for recognition, with the final confirmation of recognition being confirmed in October 2016.

Recognition will enable Parkour/Freerunning groups and organisations affiliated to Parkour UK to apply to the home country sports councils for lottery or exchequer funding to support the development of the sport locally in each home nation.

Today (Tuesday, January 10, 2017), the Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch, alongside the President of Parkour UK and a founder of Parkour/Freerunning, Sebastien Foucan announced the formal recognition of Parkour/Freerunning as a sport and Parkour UK as the recognised NGB for the sport in the UK.  The announcement was made at LEAP Parkour Park, England’s largest outdoor Parkour facility at Westminster Academy in London. The park was launched by Westminster City Council in partnership with Parkour UK in Jan 2012.

Minister for Sport, Tracey Crouch, said:

“I want people to get out there and find the sport and physical activity that appeals to them and Parkour is certainly a fun, creative and innovative option. I am pleased that it has been recognised as a sport, giving it the platform for further growth in this country, with Parkour UK as its governing body. The sport promotes movement and using the great outdoors as a space to get active in and I encourage people to don their trainers and give it a go.”

President of Parkour UK, Sebastien Foucan, said:

“This is brilliant recognition for a discipline that started off as child’s play with my friends almost 30 years ago. The beauty of Parkour/Freerunning is that everyone, of all ages, can do it respectfully in almost any environment. We celebrate activity and playfulness whilst constantly challenging our mental and physical limits. It is more than just jumping, it is a health driven way of life” 

Director of Sport at Sport England, Phil Smith (for and on behalf of the Home Country Sports Councils) said:

“As the number of people involved in regular sport and physical activity continues to grow, choice becomes increasingly important. Parkour has already been offering something different for a few years now, but what recognition means is that Parkour UK is taking responsibility for its organisation. The safety and enjoyment of those taking part is paramount, so congratulations to Parkour UK on achieving the standards and showing their ambition to grow even further.”

As the National Governing Body for Parkour/Freerunning, Parkour UK provides governance and regulation of Parkour/Freerunning throughout the UK, act as custodians of the sport/art, protect the rights & freedoms and promote the interests of Traceurs/Freerunners (practitioners), their member organisations & the UK community.

Parkour UK works closely with partners to encourage and develop the safe and appropriate practice of Parkour/Freerunning. The organisation also works with local groups, organisations, national organisations/bodies, local authorities and constabularies.

Since its creation, Parkour UK has successfully developed and promoted an open and inclusive organisation, encouraging people of all ages, backgrounds or abilities to #GiveParkourAGo with their member organisations across the UK.

Parkour UK has also forged a close relationship with the education sector, developing programmes around videography and photography and cross curricular links around the history and culture of the sport. It has developed literacy projects that use Parkour/Freerunning to teach the French language – Parlez Vous Parkour?

Chief Executive at Parkour UK, Eugene Minogue, said:

“Parkour/Freerunning has come a long way since first arriving in the UK in 2003 with the seminal documentary, Jump London in 2003 and Jump Britain in 2005, both staring Sebastien Foucan. This was followed up by Jump Westminster in 2007, which led to the creation of Parkour UK. Parkour/Freerunning is now in the vast majority of primary & secondary schools, colleges and universities all over the UK. The discipline has now been formally recognised as a sport with Parkour UK recognised as the National Governing Body. We have built a qualified workforce of over 600 people, we have led the development of a British and now a European standard for Parkour Equipment. As a result, there are now more than 50 Parkour Parks across the UK. All this in just over 7 years , an amazing achievement and testament to the unique and diverse Parkour/Freerunning community in the UK, which is world leading!”

The Parkour UK community covers all four home nations of the UK and is incredibly rich in its diversity.

Parkour/Freerunning celebrates female participation and has also demonstrated huge success engaging with children, teenagers and families. There are also examples of people over the age of 60 practicing Parkour and reaping all the benefits associated with regular participation in this incredible form of physical activity.

Parkour UK and our community are pioneering  innovative programmes, including: Parkour for Mental Health, Parkour for Older People, Family Parkour as well as Parkour/Freerunning academies. Parkour/Freerunning offers something new, innovative and engaging to those who want to get active but may find mainstream sports or activities unappealing.

#GiveParkourAGo #HistoryMade

Full Press Release; Recognition Announcement Press Release Jan 2017

At 2016 AGM held on Saturday 9th July 2016, following an open nomination process the membership voted to elect an Elected Director. The Nominees were were approved by the Board for election at the 2016 AGM.

The Elected Director was nominated for election by the Members, subject in each case to the approval of the Board. The election of Elected Director was decided by votes cast by all the Voting Members at the annual congress (AGM).

We are pleased to announce, following the formal vote by the voting members at the AGM, the election of Daniel Timms as Elected Director.

Dan has over a decade of Parkour/Freerunning training and has been coaching the discipline for more than half of that time. He dedicates his time fine tuning his practice to help current and future athletes reach their full potential. His innovative coaching can be seen reflected in the sessions provided by JUMP Parkour, where he is a director and senior coach. Dan is an award winning graduate in Engineering possessing a Masters level degree. He uses his creativity and analytical mind to create designs for some of the UK’s Parkour parks. Dan has reached a high level in many sports searching for knowledge that can be used to further both his coaching, and Parkour training methodology.

Stepehen Mitchell, Independent Chair said:

“2016 has already been an incredibly exciting year in the history of Parkour UK and I am personally delighted that we continue to add to our Elected Directors, with Dan Timms, who will continue to help drive the organisation forward. With the ongoing leadership and commitment from our Chief Executive Officer, Eugene Minogue I am confident the community of parkour practitioners and professionals will be inspired to continue to challenge perceptions, engage more participants and deliver even more positive outcomes in the future. At Parkour UK we are committed to develop a National Governing Body of the future, working collaboratively with partners across public health, community safety, sports development, urban design, education and the great outdoors, with the community at heart of every decision we make and a strong Board to govern the discipline appropriately”.

As part of the election of the new Elected Directors &  the transitional arrangements as part of our Governance changes, Chris Rowat has resigned as an Elected Director as of the 2016 AGM. Chris has served on the board of Parkour UK as an elected director since 2013.

The Board on behalf of the NGB & our community/members wish to formally express and record their significant thanks, gratitude and appreciation to Chris for his contribution and service as a board member. This has enabled us as NGB to continue to develop, progress and break new ground in the sports sector in the UK and beyond.

#GiveParkourAGo

Detailed below is the list of nominees which have been approved by the Board, their seconders and their election statements for the roles of Elected Directors.

Elected directors will be appointed at our AGM on Saturday 9th July, 6pm in Edinburgh, Scotland. Members are advised to read through the election statements below in advance of the AGM. If you cannot attend the AGM it is advised that you download the Proxy Voting Form, complete and return this by 5pm on Friday 8th July 2016 to ensure you vote is cast and counted.

Nominee:           Dan Timms, JUMP Parkour

Seconder:           Brad Moss, Southend Parkour

Election Statement: 

I am a keen advocate for growth of Parkour in the UK and feel I can contribute positively to both the discipline and the NGB in the role of Elected Director. One of the areas I would strive to cultivate is the development of PKUK’s workforce. Facilitating the professional development of coaches will create organisations with greater capacity. This will allow more practitioners to access the discipline.

Currently I’m a director at JUMP Parkour and operate as a facility designer for Natural Sports. This has given me experience in many of the skill areas required for the role. Parts of my Masters degree were also dedicated to some of the skills required (notably business and marketing).

I am a friendly, outspoken person with a strong sense of community and fairness. I am also willing to work hard to produce results and leave a positive mark on the Parkour community.

Nominee:           Jade Shaw, ParkourDance

Seconder:         Jacob Peregrine-Wheller, West Coast Parkour

Election Statement: 

Jade Shaw is artistic director of Parkour Dance Company (CIC) that runs an academy, youth company, older people’s programme and professional performance collective in London. She has over 13 years experience of leading projects in education, community and performance contexts worldwide.

She strives to make parkour accessible to people from all walks of life for well-being & performance purposes. Her Forever Young programme deals with fall prevention and social isolation in seniors, Sacred Sons helps ‘at risk’ young men find purpose in their lives and the PKD Academy develops leadership qualities in young people.

As elected director Jade will build local and international partnerships, promote performance parkour, devise CPD workshops and be a voice for the female parkour community. She believes parkour can be used not only to heal, transform and catalyse the mind and body but also for positive social change.

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