Releasing the Power of our Profession – CIMSPA’s new strategy

We are delighted to launch CIMSPA’s new strategy, Releasing the Power of our Profession.

The sport and physical activity workforce has never had such a vital role in society as they have today. The value of the contribution that we make to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the population, to the cohesion of communities, the engagement of hard-to-reach populations, and to the economic and social value of our country, continues to grow. 

As our profession continues to contribute so much and the demands on it increase, it’s important that as the only Chartered Institute for the sector, CIMSPA sets out a clear strategy for how our sector workforce, which now amounts to almost 600,000* roles and around 3 million* paid and volunteer coaches, can be supported and professionally recognised. 

Our profession is consistently striving for greater recognition.

• Recognition of their status as qualified, experienced professionals who have immense impact on health and wellbeing.
• Recognition of the skills and high-quality practice that they have developed and continue to elevate through their commitment to professional development.
• Recognition of how the value of their work extends beyond common perceptions and positively impacts lives and communities.
• Recognition of how their experience and commitment to ethical, safe practice and engagement makes them distinct. 

Professional recognition, both as an individual and as a collective, is not an entitlement. It is earned through a continuous commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the highest standards of professionalism. 

CIMSPA’s deep relationships with professionals working right across the sector, with employers large and small, with education providers and with sector partners, have enabled us to bring together a collective view on how professional recognition can be achieved. 

Within its pages, we set out a plan to achieve a vision where professional recognition is not a static milestone. It ensures that as a profession we can maximise our agility to embrace emerging trends and be at the cutting edge of what society needs us to be to scale up the incredibly valuable contribution that we make to the health and wellbeing of the nation through prevention of and support for recovery from, long-term conditions.  

Our strategy sets out a recognised, achievable career path for everyone that is in or wants to be part of our sector with entry routes, progression and status recognition that meets the needs of both the individual and the employers. It ensures that training, qualifications and skills development opportunities are high-quality and meet the changing needs of the sector. It provides a foundation built on local needs, helping the right skill sets to be available in the right places, at the right time. It helps more people to engage in sport and physical activity and have safe, enjoyable experiences. 

What we set out to achieve in this strategy cannot be pursued in isolation. That is why the foundation of Releasing the Power of our Profession, is our continued work to build an ecosystem of professional skills and career development which brings together professionals, employers, business owners, education and training providers, sector partners, including NGBs, and allied professions such as health and social care. We are very grateful to everyone within that ecosystem who has had a vital role in helping us to develop this strategy and will be integral to its success. Through fostering collaboration to cultivate a culture across all parts of the sector, we can collectively empower our workforce to achieve even greater impact. 

Releasing the Power of our Profession is more than a roadmap. It is a declaration of our intent to ensure that the great contributions that those working in the sport and physical activity sector make to society and the economy are recognised and celebrated. Professional recognition is incredibly powerful. In the hands of our incredibly talented, committed professionals working right across our sector and beyond, it truly will transform lives. 

Find out more:

CIMSPA strategy