The Board of the English Karate Council met In Leicester on the 16th September and discussed a number of significant topics – these are summarised below.
1 Disability Karate Guide
A document setting out guidance for Club Instructors was discussed and agreed; it is published elsewhere on the EKC website. The Board also agreed to lift the profile of member clubs with disabled people by establishing a ‘department’ made up of our best qualified people led by Board member Tricia Jordan.
(Scroll to read more)
2 Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy revision
Oliver Wood, EKC legal advisor, is in the process of finalising this document which has been developed by Oliver with advice from an expert panel.
3 EKC Championships 30th October
It was agreed to defer these until next year.
4 Validation of Instructor Programme
A meeting had been held with Vicky Boyd, Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, where it was agreed that the EKC Instructor Programme was equivalent to UKCC level 2. The document is to be further developed and illustrations added, for consideration as an NGB accredited programme.
5 CPSU ‘Safeguarding in Martial Arts’ Working Group
The next meeting is arranged for the 17th October in Loughborough. It will consider the Safe Karate paper published on the EKC website.
6 Karate Unification
A first meeting took place on the 19thJuly at the Sport & Recreation Alliance (S&RA) who are progressing the unification process for Sport England.
John Bell (EKC Chair) outlined the content of the meeting which was chaired by Emma Boggis the S&RA CEO who was supported by Rob Tate, S&RA ,Chris Coleman, Sport England, Hamish McInnes, CEO British Shooting and attended by;
John Bell EKC Chair
Mike Billman EKF
Mike Dinsdale EKF
Ian Cuthbert Karate England
Noel Mantock FEKO
Bob Poynton KUGB
Peter Allen (AMA) sent his apologies and was represented by Noel Mantock.
The meeting was very positive and Chris Coleman (Sport England) was very pleased with the outcome.
The main points agreed were:
a) The structure of the new federated body’s board
There would be:
an Independent Chair recruited through open competition
4-6 Independent directors recruited in the same way
5 Directors from the constituent bodies, one from each of AMA, EKF, FEKO, Karate England and the KUGB.
b) Quality and Governance
The new body would lead on quality Karate and would be responsible for setting a unified standard for good governance to be followed by all member bodies of the proposed new federated body.
A subsequent meeting was held on the 23rd September at which further progress was made including an agreed Route Map for establishing the new body.
EKC Board