Recognition

Recognition is a process shared by all five sports councils (Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland and UK Sport), which determines which national governing bodies (NGBs) are responsible for governing the sporting activities the sports councils are willing to support and work with. It acknowledges the status of NGBs as private organisations that govern particular sports through the common consent of the sport itself.1

There are many benefits in becoming a recognised sport, not limited to below:

• Credibility of the sport governed in a consistent way by and for its members
• Functional fitness becoming officially a professional sport
• Future of the sport development secured by its formal recognition allowing us to lobby to be a part of the Olympic programme (IOC recognition that iF3 is working on with the support of its National Federations like ours)
• Potential access to UK Sport and Home Nations councils funding to further develop the sport and invest in its communities through a variety of programmes (i.e. across the 49 NGBs Sports England funded during 2017-2021, there were 88 diversity targets split between women and girls, lower socio-economic groups, disability, older people, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBT+2)

BF3 is aiming to submit a pre-application for functional fitness to be recognised as a sport in the United Kingdom in the Summer 2024, pending reaching the required number of members, so sign up to become a member and help us reach this crucial goal!

When deciding whether to recognise functional fitness as sport the sports councils will look to see if we meet a number of criteria with a focus on whether we achieved a position of pre-eminence within our sport and we have adequate level of governance. The recognition process consists of two parts: a pre-application and a full application. Pre-application typically takes 3 months and if successful there’s a further several months of work needing to happen before we’re able to meet all of the criteria and be fully recognised. The overall process is expected to take about a year.

We have put a lot of work into meeting all the criteria needed and we are so close to success, but we cannot do it without you! Please support our AMRAP campaign and consider becoming a member, or if you’re a gym owner, an affiliate of the BF3. We need the support of our community to demonstrate the number of people participating in our sport for recognition to become a reality, securing the future of our sport. 

Sources:

1 Reconition process: https://www.sportengland.org/guidance-and-support/national-governing-bodies 

2 Sport England investments: https://www.sportengland.org/guidance-and-support/national-governing-bodies?section=our_investments