Parkour UK, the officially recognised national governing body for Parkour and freerunning in the UK, has secured a £120,000 funding grant from Sport England.
In addition to supporting executive capacity the investment will enable the launch and implementation of the NGBs next development phase clearly defined by the 2019 -2023 ‘Move with Purpose’ strategic plan.
Dan Newton, the newly appointed CEO at Parkour UK, says:
“This news is most welcome. Since the autumn of last year, whilst on secondment from Rounders England, I have been working with the Parkour UK Board of Directors and the Parkour community to clearly define our priorities. My appointment as CEO officially begins next month (July). With the support of a reenergized Board and the investment from Sport England, I am excited to be able to lead our organisation into a new and significant era in its development.”
“Despite the term ‘Parkour’ first being documented back in 1998, its practice was only officially recognised as a sport, with Parkour UK awarded official NGB status, in 2016. As a result, the sport is only at the start of its professional journey and we need to ensure the professional foundations are in place to support and safeguard the interests of our practitioners. I am leading a passionate Board, driven by an ambition to amplify the social impact of Parkour across the country through best practice governance, a market research driven understanding of Parkour’s social value and successful strategic delivery.”
Parkour UK has laid out its intent in ‘Move With Purpose’, a three year strategic plan due to launch this summer, designed to build a sustainable and resilient future for the sport.
Dan continues:
“This Sport England investment will enable us to expand our resources and provide the vital capacity we need to deliver against our ongoing objectives. We intend to commission extensive independent market research to deepen the understanding of our community’s need and the value Parkour delivers to society. This will enable the formulation of strategies based on solid market intelligence, ensuring resource is allocated where it delivers most impact. We also intend to make two new appointments to extend our team and provide the on the ground support we need to drive the NGB towards the achievement of strategic targets.”
Stephen Mitchell, Independent Chair, Parkour UK, adds:
“This funding award unlocks so much potential. With executive resource and a Board of high performing, passionate professions now in place, I look forward to working with Dan to drive this forward thinking, inclusive and modern NGB towards success. We are totally committed to the achievement of Tier 2a classification of the Code of Sports Governance, providing solid professional foundations from which to deliver against all objectives outlined in ‘Move with Purpose’, steering the sport of Parkour towards a more resilient and sustainable future.”
The Sport England grant has been awarded to 12 months from April 2020, enabling Parkour UK to move its strategic plans forward. Speaking of the award, Phil Smith, Director of Sport, Sport England says:
“Since Parkour UK achieved recognised NGB status in 2016, the team has worked incredibly hard to create a stable foundation on which to grow. This new funding award will enable Dan and the team to continue their good work, moving Parkour UK into a new phase of its journey”
