EuropeActive and ukactive have today (3 February) secured a new partnership agreement which will see the industry bodies work closer together following the UK's exit from the EU.

The two organisations have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which outlines a joint mission of improving physical activity levels through the support and development of the sector.

Among the goals of the MoU is to ensure the organisations – and the workforce within the fitness and physical activity sector – are equipped with the insight, knowledge and standards to meet the needs of the population "now and in the future".

The MoU also includes a commitment to support the development of the sector by working towards establishing an evidence-base that demonstrates the impact of physical activity on society.

Significantly, the partnership has also led to a Mutual Recognition Agreement being signed between the European Register of Exercise Professionals (ereps) and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), which maintains the CIMSPA Exercise and Fitness Directory.

This will see the two bodies recognise and accept the registration of members of the partner register, while also upholding and respecting the decisions made by each in the practice and governance of their registers.

The alignment between EREPS and CIMSPA is seen as a significant step forward in the promotion of global standards for fitness and physical activity professionals.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Our renewed partnership with EuropeActive builds on our successful relationship, and demonstrates the unity of the physical activity across Europe at this challenging time.

“Faced with the political and economic uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, the strength of our partnership has never been clearer or more important. Together, we can ensure that physical activity plays its fullest role in the future health and success of our nations.”

To help the industry recover from the ongoing pandemic, EuropeActive and ukactive will work across their memberships – and with their partners – to "address any gaps in the sector’s ability to deliver lasting impact", as well as to identify long-term strategic challenges and opportunities for the sector and to ensure it is fully supported to meet them.

Most recently, the organisations collaborated on a European-wide report showing COVID-19 safety data gathered by operators across the UK and Europe.

Andreas Paulsen, executive director at EuropeActive, said: “The signing of the MoU with ukactive is a significant step forward towards building on and strengthening the way we work together on a number of key issues and activities across Europe.

“Our expanded partnership with our close British friends is a concrete symbol of the unity of the fitness and physical activity sector, which EuropeActive is vigorously working for, and which will pave the way for coming active alliances with many other trade association partners.

“Particularly as we move out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unity and collaboration of our sector is pivotal to its general recovery. There will be no time or place to put ego before the collective interests of our industry, but every opportunity to be ambitious and innovative through our collective power like never before.

“EuropeActive is honoured to be working closely with ukactive as we firmly believe our combined resources will help position our sector as providers of physical activity which also supports social and mental health and wellbeing.”