Report of the PAA Structure Review Working Party, 2002

The information below has been extracted from the PAA Structure Review Working Party's report dated September, 2002. The report is not quoted in full and the below information is not meant to portray any views expressed in that report beyond the facts.

Essentially this information is provided in order that police personnel should be aware of what is happening in Police Sport.

Police Athletic Association

The PAA was formed in 1928 and it's name and prestige has survived to this day. In recent year's, due to the pressures associated with the modern Police Service, the impression pertains that the value of police participation in sport (and in particularly PAA events) has slowly been downgraded.

In 2001 the PAA formed a working party to examine a number of aspects including:

• To examine the aims and objectives of the PAA as set down in their Constitution;

• To examine the promotion and control of the various championship events both home and abroad with which the PAA are affiliated;

• To examine the means of marketing sporting activity within the police service;

• To examine methods of improving knowledge about the PAA and the benefits of participation in PAA sporting activity;

• To make recommendations for appropriate improvements.

There were 11 items in the terms of reference including the management, finance, aims and objectives, support for the World Police and Fire Games, European Championship events and to report conclusions. Hence the report.

Given the terms of reference and recognising the contribution that individual forces make towards the development of sport and fitness at grass roots level, the working party carried out some research to seek information and opinions from Forces and PAA Regions in the UK.

Just 26 Forces returned a completed form; more regarding the results later....

The report also includes some details of the working party's discussions in which they considered that participation in sport both within and without the Police Service displayed a downward trend and that Government had recognised the need for positive action to reverse that trend. The Government had made comments on the need for the country to play more sport both at 'grass-roots' level and to excel at international level. A government minister is quoted as "taking a long-term strategic view of our priorities for sport, and how they contribute to the delivery of wider objectives such as health, education, crime reduction and social cohesion".

The working party's discussions include the echo from the Home Office that they (the H.O.) continue to place emphasis on the need to improve occupational health in the Police Service..... to reduce sickness and ill-health retirements......  referring to research which demonstrates the importance of the increased participation in sporting activities and the beneficial links between sports participation and health and well-being....    and the Working Party feels that the time is right to reinforce the links between between sports participation and occupational welfare inside the Police Service.

Thus the working group's proposals and recommendations were designed to give greater emphasis to grass-roots participation whilst encouraging success at the highest level nationally and internationally.

There are a number of strategic as well as (mainly) structural recommendations including:

• Develop more effective links with police forces, in particular occupational health and physical training staff;

• Wide participation in the World Police & Fire Games should be encouraged with the PAA playing a marketing and co-ordinating role for a United Kingdom team;

• To publish a Sport Development Strategy and annual objectives;

• To employ a Sport Development Officer also an Administration and Finance Manager;

• The PAA should develop sponsorship and funding opportunities including Government funding. This will be a key role of the Sport Development Officer;

• PAA should be re-branded as 'Police Sport UK'. This will result in no change to the PAA Constitution;

• Standard recruit information package;

• Regional Committees to encourage the development of sport in the region;

• To encourage the development of sport within policing;

There are some 68 recommendations mainly dealing with the structure of the PAA. Perhaps the employment of the Sport Development Officer is the most cogent, also that the PAA Constitution remains the same.

The Structure Review also provides details of their Questionnaire Results. There were some 34 questions and the Summary of Comments to each question is too numerous for this page. This writer has chosen the more relevant aspects (in his view) to bring to your attention.

26 Forces completed the Questionnaire.

Does your Force fully support the aims and objectives of the PAA?

If NO please state in what respect you do not give support

Comments summary:
"Force Sport is on the bottom of the list of priorities".

Please tell us how you go about marketing your own sporting activity.

Summary of Comments made: 

Use of the Intranet
General Force Orders
Force Newspaper
Posters
Secretary actively promotes and advertises
Publication of a yearly Handbook
Application and information to all new recruits
Classroom input to all new recruits
Award of annual `Achievement in Sport' Trophy
Force e-mail facility

Where representatives of your Force appointed to Committees or Sub Committees of the Police Athletic Association attend meetings, are they permitted to claim travelling expenses from your Force in accordance with Home Office Letter 471,706131 dated 23 June 1928?

Are there any areas in National Functionality that could be improved?

Summary of Comments:

Better Accountability needed
More contact needed with forces
More recognition given to sport by forces
Promotion of sport through ACPO
Opportunity at AGM for open discussion
Video produced for Training schools and Forces
Posters advertising PAA website
Website kept up to date
Too much emphasis / financial support for USPE (Union Sportive d'Europe)
Insufficient support by National Body for grass roots sports people
Management structure too heavily loaded with ACPO
More information needed re rules and representative honours

How could these areas be improved?

Summary of Comments: 

Better communication
Access to PAA web site for all officers
Information updates - newsletter?
Open and visible selection process for committees
Whole system needs to be more democratic
More recognition for sport within forces
Sport should be redeveloped as part of the culture
Sport should be used toward well-being of staff
PAA should have open discussion and policy making
Review of reluctance to give time off for sport
Spread funding better through grass roots activities
PAA web site kept up to date
More information provided on the website
More dynamic approach to local and national issues 
Devolve more administrative and financial power to Regions

What is your Force Sports Association doing to maintain interest and protect grass roots sport within your Force. (Sport for members who do not aspire or desire National selection).

Summary of Comments:

Financially support and encourage all sporting sections, even non PAA
Dedicated Secretary promotes sport
New recruits given input by Secretary
Development of club intranet sites
Internal inter-divisional competitions
Divisional committee structure

Ongoing programme of equipping fitness rooms
Financial grants to sections each year

Section Secretaries sit on executive Committee
Continual development of Force sports ground and club
Internal sporting leagues

Force sports structure review and staff survey in progress 
Regular friendly fixtures for most sports

Please tell us about any development policy you may have or are planning for your Force Sports Association.

Summary of Comments:

Force sports club now a limited company laying foundation for development
Honours Boards at HQ
Development of the Intranet
Internal review of the Force Sports Association

Holiday cottage and corporate hospitality scheme developing
Widening membership to include family HQ facilities open to the public

Possible rebuild of force sports clubhouse
Amalgamation of force sports and force social club
Financial support for regional PAA and non-PAA events 
Possible purpose-built sports centre

The World Police and Fire Games, held bi-annually in different countries throughout the world, is intended as a family sports event for grass roots sportsmen and women. The process of attendance is not governed by selection. It is known that many such athletes and their families travel to the event in their own time and at their own expense. Should the PAA explore ways of supporting the World Police and Fire Games?

What suggestions does your committee have on improving the efficiency or structure of the PAA Council?

Summary of Comments:

Committee appears too large
Non-attendance of members causes a problem Introduce outside expertise
Better accountability and communication
Reduce Committee numbers
People carry out their role
Stronger link with ACPO Council
Top down promotion of sport Meetings more open
Earlier distribution of minutes
Regional Committees provide report to PAA Council
More openness - membership should be involved in policy and decision making
Good blend of ACPO and grass roots participants
AGM held more centrally
Postal voting allowed for AGM
Pull out of USPE
Reconstitute with new rules Small Board of Directors
Council too big - Small group needed committed to role
Chief Officer support is vital

What suggestions do you have, which would improve the organisation of Championship events within the Police Athletic Association?

Summary of Comments:

Reward for volunteers
Time off for volunteers
Drive form Force Executive
Greater participation
'Sports culture' needs re-inventing
A National Committee should have responsibility for organising Championships
PAA Policy on the funding of programmes is causing resentment
Meetings should be better attended
More local support from national Committees
Less luxurious accommodation used for events
Each sport should have a Championship Committee financed nationally and by competitors

Is there anything else you wish to notify relevant to the Review? You should feel free to use additional paper but on each sheet please properly identify the appropriate question number.

Summary of Comments:

Volunteers do everything
Little or no assistance from Forces
Drive needed from the top
Government appointed 1000 Local Sports Co-ordinators at Primary School level
Link government funds with Police sports to create fit Police Officers
Consultation papers need better timescales to consult membership
ACPO support leadership of PAA
Sponsorship of PAA Championships
PAA support sport for young people in society
AGM held in a central location
Website is incomplete and dull
Time between meetings used better e.g. workshops
Independent review by outside body
Publication of easily understood PAA national functioning guidelines

Do you have or are you considering the establishment of you own Force Sports Association website as a means of marketing your own sporting activity?

Comment on results: 

Forces that indicated use of their intranet to encourage sporting activity consider it to be a useful developmental tool.

Would you consider the use of the PAA website as a means of obtaining information about the activities and business of the PAA?

Comment on results:

An interesting contrast between respondents interest in using a third party website for information, but less interest in having or considering the use of their own (and more widely accessible) Intranet.

The Questionnaire details above are not complete but are provided to give the reader an indication of the sentiment put forward by the respondents.

Article produced by Richard Sivers
July, 2003