CIMSPA launch the Birmingham & Solihull Skills Plan for increasing employment and skills opportunities in the Sport and Physical Activity sector.
It can be difficult to find a physical activity or sport that becomes a natural part of your life; for many, they are either introduced to an activity early at school or they discover it later on in life via friends, family, work or local networks.
The gym has now become a ‘staple’ for many (whose life it fits into) however for some, the gym environment can be intimidating, scary and off-putting as they rarely see ‘people like themselves’ in such establishments.  Grassroots sport is important too for enabling people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to partake in physical activity locally – levelling the playing field for all – whilst leading on the health agenda.
The local health heroes must be celebrated – they come from all walks of life – and are often the ones who motivate people to become more active. They manifest themselves in different ways and their roles can span:
- Exercise and Fitness – e.g. Group Exercise Instructors, Gym Instructors & Personal Trainers
- Leisure Operations – Swimming Teachers and Leisure Attendants
- Health and Wellbeing – Active Wellbeing Practitioners and Holistic Therapy Practitioners
- Physical Activity Coaching – Grassroots and Club Sports
- Performance Coaching and Performance – Elite Athlete Coaching
BBX Fitness has been at the forefront of discussions around the importance of sports and physical activity leaders! As Chair of CIMSPA’s Birmingham & Solihull Skills Board, Bally Bhogal, has worked with key partners to understand what the needs of sector are and how BBX can contribute to keeping people fit and healthy through recruiting more instructors. Since being on the Board, BBX has achieved:
- Designing and delivering a pilot of the BBX Bhangra Fitness Instructor Training course in 2024;
- Achieving CIMSPA endorsement for the BBX Bhangra Fitness Instructor Training course ‘mapped against’ the Group Exercise Instructor Level 2 qualification in 2025;
- Delivering the BBX Bhangra Fitness Instructor Training course as endorsed by CIMSPA for new Instructors from 2025/2026;
- Opening up pathways to deliver BBX Bhangra Fitness classes in gyms, leisure centres and in the community;
- Introducing BBX Bhangra Fitness in Wales and Ireland through newly certified BBX Bhangra Fitness Instructors in 2026.
As our network grows, so does our impact. For those people who love to dance – for whom dance is accessible, not scary or intimidating – Bhangra dance particularly provides a perfect method to enjoy yourself, get rid of life’s stresses and to empower you back to your healthy self. This is what we do – but what can you do?  Its simple really, just:
- ALLOCATE “me time” in you diary.
- SHOW UP
- SWITCH OFF and let us do the rest…
The published CIMSPA Skills Plan for Birmingham and Solihull can be found here. In summary, the key priorities are to:
- Improve recruitment and retention – supporting employers by building a robust talent pipeline that is accessible to the area’s diverse population and enables workforce progression and retention.
- Raise the profile of the sector – promoting the impact of sport and physical activity delivery on local health and economic priorities to raise visibility and credibility with system partners.
- Drive connectivity and collaboration – facilitating the growth of local partnerships by strengthening existing networks and developing understanding of the sector’s impact on wider regional priorities.
Have a read and let us know if you think these are the correct priorities!
And remember:
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE to improve your life outcomes by MOVING WITH BBX BHANGRA FITNESS!
- Join our classes via bbx.fitness/find-a-class
- Â Got a question? Email us at information@bbx.fitness
- Â Join our tribe @BBXBhangraFitness on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook!
Bruahh!
The BBX Team
😊
Further reading/links:
