CIMSPA is the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector.
Our purpose is to shape a respected, regulated and recognised sector that everyone wants to be a part of, and that others are confident interacting with. We work with stakeholders across and beyond the sector to achieve this.
CIMSPA’s vision and mission
We are the sector’s chartered professional development body. We are committed to supporting, developing and enabling professionals and organisations to succeed in the sport and physical activity sector and, as a result, inspire our nation to become more active.
CIMSPA helps to nurture talent, develop careers, inspire professionalism and set clear regulatory standards for success, continuing the development of a modern, prosperous and respected sport and physical activity sector.
Together we’re developing a vibrant, UK-wide sport and physical activity sector, with the highest standards of service delivery.
Our vision
Shaping a recognised, valued and inclusive sport and physical activity sector that everyone can be a part of.
Our mission
Through our work we will:
- Allow individuals to realise their potential by having a clear route into and through our sector.
- Provide employers with the best people.
- Ensure the availability of quality and relevant learning and development opportunities.
- Be the lead organisation on sport and physical activity workforce policy.
- Give the public increased confidence in a professional, respectable sector.
What does CIMSPA’s work involve?
CIMSPA interacts with the sport and physical activity sector’s workforce and key stakeholders to identify the best practices and standards that should be adopted by our sector. We then identify the best and most suitable methods to encourage the sector’s uptake of them. We achieve this by interacting with employers, deployers, active partnerships, NGBs, awarding organisations, higher educational institutes, training providers, practitioners, professionals, and policy shapers.
By engaging with these stakeholders, CIMSPA identifies the requirements and expectations of the sector’s workforce and employers, identifies areas for development and barriers affecting its ability to deliver. As a result of our work, CIMSPA helps and contributes to the production of tools and resources to professionalise, develop and safeguard the sector’s workforce, organisations and reputation. There is a continuous process of engaging with stakeholders to listen, learn, propose and review best practices.
A CIMSPA fit for the sector
CIMSPA’s sole purpose is to meet the needs and requirements of the sport and physical activity sector. In 2013, CIMSPA led a sector-wide consultation and business review to ensure our chartered statutes and organisational activities is fit for the sector. As a result of our findings, we updated our offering to better accommodate the needs and help the sector prosper. In the years following, we have been striving to unite the sector and align everyone’s efforts to shape a respected, regulated and recognised sector.
The progress already made by CIMSPA and our sector is outstanding, and the future is brimming with new opportunities. The key to our progress has been the efforts of CIMSPA’s departments.
An educated and qualified CIMSPA
A fundamental part of CIMSPA’s work is the creation, development, and implementation of regulations and professional standards and apprenticeship roles. The regulation and standards team also establishes education partnerships with awarding organisations, training providers, and higher education institutes, endorsing products and providing quality assurance.
An inclusive and representative CIMSPA
CIMSPA offers membership, and accompanying routes to chartered status, to management professionals, practitioners, and specialists in our sector. Our membership team is front-facing and handles general and membership enquiries to CIMSPA. The team also helps to identify if applicants are eligible for membership and determine if their supporting evidence such as qualification and CPD is valid. The membership team also feedback on how an unsuccessful applicant can gain membership through appropriate qualifications or CPD.
A CIMSPA in touch
The local delivery team establishes and manages partnerships with employers across the sector. By liaising, supporting and driving individual memberships they help employers to improve their workforce development and align with the professional standards by using CIMSPA approved training provider partners for training and qualifications and signposting to wider CIMSPA campaigns. Collectively, this contributes to the professionalisation of the sector. The local delivery team also represents CIMSPA across the sector and establishes new relationships with non-affiliated partners and members.
A CIMSPA with a voice
The communications team is responsible for projecting the work, message and vision of CIMSPA to the sector and beyond. This is achieved through various communication channels, including but not limited to, the creation and posting of web content, press releases, direct email, social and print. The CIMSPA communications team interacts with all the teams across the organisation to ensure all projects and campaigns being run receive exposure and interest.
A sector-leading CIMSPA
Overseeing and driving the success of CIMSPA is the senior leadership team. Formed of some of our sector’s most dynamic and driven individuals the team draws upon their respective experience in leisure, education, training providers and NGBs to provide vision and strategic direction for CIMSPA.
Check out our News and Blogs to learn about our current work and updates.