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16/11/2021
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ReTrain to Retain support opens to the sport and physical activity community

ReTrain to Retain - the skills, funding and support programme for the sport and physical activity community in England - today opens up to the first group of successful applicants

Quick look

  • ReTrain to Retain offers skills, funding and support for people working and volunteering in sport and physical activity who have been made unemployed or lost work due to the pandemic
  • Eligible applicants can access support from 16 November
  • New applications still welcomed from across the community


Thousands of fitness professionals, group exercise instructors and sports coaches can now log in to the ReTrain to Retain platform to access a range of resources designed to help them to stay in, or return to, the sector as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Applications are still welcomed from anyone working in sport and physical activity in England who has been made unemployed or had their working hours impacted as a result of the pandemic. Additional support is also available for those working in lower income areas.

The programme, part of an ambitious £5m job retention and support package (funded by Sport England through the National Lottery), is being delivered by CIMSPA, alongside UK Coaching and EMD UK.

The benefits available through ReTrain to Retain include:

  • Digital learning and webinars to support people in getting back to work or increasing their working hours
  • A job matching service
  • Access to the CIMSPA Digital Marketing Hub
  • Discounted endorsed training from a range of providers

Group exercise instructors can also benefit from free membership of EMD UK, discounted training courses, £50 of PPL music credits and more.

Through UK Coaching, ReTrain to Retain also provides targeted support for 25,000 volunteer sports coaches, including a UK Coaching Club subscription with 12 months unlimited access to over 500 learning resources. Coaches interested in applying can visit here.

In addition, the programme will provide skills, funding, and support for up to 5,000 self-employed professionals and micro-businesses and will work with up to 500 sector employers to address skills shortages and fund essential training. Employers will have the opportunity to access ReTrain funding from December 2021.

FIND OUT MORE AND APPLY FOR RETRAIN TO RETAIN