National Water Sports Centre Receives UK Sport Accreditation

Eight Elite Training Centres have been recognised by UK Sport for their contribution to the preparation of elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

They are the first to be awarded the status of “UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre”, a title that celebrates their role in helping athletes to achieve their full performance potential.

Dr Kate Baker, Director of Performance at UK Sport, said: “Our Elite Training Centre (ETC) hosts provide the essential daily training environments for our Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The ETC accreditation framework reflects the excellence of their support and our confidence that they will continue to empower athletes’ sustainable high performance.”

The eight organisations that have been accredited are:

• Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre
• Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre
• Loughborough University
• Lilleshall National Sports Centre
• Manchester City Council
• Milton Keynes National Badminton Centre
• Sheffield City Council
• University of Bath

Steve Nelson, Operations Director for Serco Leisure, said: “This is incredible news! To be one of the very first ETCs as selected by UK Sport is a proud moment for myself and the whole team at Holme Pierrepont Country Park.

“We’re delighted that behind the scenes support for elite Olympic and Paralympic sportsmen and women has been recognised with this prestigious accreditation.”

All eight organisations, and the facilities they provide, will now work to deliver improvement plans that will outline the continued development of their training environments. They form a network that will benefit from shared learning and continuous improvement.

Other ETC venues and organisations will be invited to achieve this UK Sport accreditation following the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

To earn this status, an organisation must provide elite facilities and equipment, staff, and overall organisational culture – with a clear commitment to continuous improvement. Also to be considered for accreditation hosts must currently:

• Have a direct relationship with a UK national governing body (NGB) of sport, and the World Class Programme
• Be a training hub for an NGB (permanent or semi-permanent)
• Have a venue that hosts at least ten funded World Class Programme athletes on site

 ETCs assess their current performance against an excellence framework that is built around eight guiding principles:

• Sustainability and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
• Partnerships
• Facilities and equipment
• Access
• People development
• Performance lifestyle
• Science and Medicine
• Quality

After the self-assessment process, a peer review takes place before accreditation is confirmed and signed off by UK Sport.

For further information about the Elite Training Centre centre accreditation scheme contact ETCTeam@uksport.gov.uk