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UK Coaching Solutions

(Formerly Coachwise)

Everything for the sport and physical activity sector. IN ONE PLACE

  • Are you looking to reduce costs?

  • Save time by streamlining the number of suppliers you work with?

  • Benefit from working directly with specialists who understand your challenges?

You've come to the right place!

Our vision is to be the company that best understands and delivers for sport and physical activity.

UK Coaching Solutions (formerly known as Coachwise) has been serving the needs of the sport and physical activity sector for more than 30 years, providing a range of products and services which have evolved into a one-stop shop for our clients and partners.

From one central location in Leeds, we work with sport and physical activity organisations of all shapes and sizes: from the largest national governing bodies to start-up enterprises.

What’s more, as part of The National Coaching Foundation group, any profits we make are gift-aided back to UK Coaching, the UK-registered charity which leads the national development of coaches and the coaching system. That’s beneficial for everybody in our sector.

What We Do

 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We work with sport and physical activity customers of all shapes and sizes and offer a range of services which bring results.

Customer Service and Support

Friendly and knowledgeable teams on hand to deal with your customer queries efficiently and professionally.

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Creative and Procurement

End-to-end design, editorial, publishing and buying service for learning products, campaigns, exhibition and promotional purposes.

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Storage and Fulfilment

Modern storage solution and efficient despatch of resources, membership packs, promotional items and clothing.

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Learning and Assessment

Creating formal and informal educational experiences which are industry recognised.

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Who We Work With

 

We are proud of what we do and enjoy working with everybody from the largest and well-established national governing bodies to new start-up companies.

Some of the people we’re working with right now can be found below.

 

Customer Service and Support

We have the ideal solution for when you need the support of a professional customer service team and just don’t have the time, space or money to have your own.

Whatever size your requirement, our dedicated team of professionals can deliver a service and tailored levels of support to keep your customers happy. This leaves you safe in the knowledge that our experts are handling your most important daily interactions the way you would do so yourself.

If you’re looking for an outsourced customer service and support operation which feels more like an extension of your own team then look no further.

Online and telephone admin support which allows your customers to book on to your courses or sessions as if they were dealing directly with you. Offering a full end-to-end service, we can take payment directly from delegates (plus handle any credit control issues), book venues, deploy tutors, send pre-course materials and handle any post-course administration duties.

Success Story

There is no better way to illustrate our complete customer service solution than by highlighting how we support the UK Coaching workshop programme.

UK Coaching is inspiring an active nation through great coaching. Via a programme of educational workshops, UK Coaching is helping nurture coaching skills; supporting the organisations who recruit, support and deploy the people who use coaching skills.

Combining UK Coaching expertise in content and learning with UK Solutions administration and delivery, it’s a winning service which has benefited hundreds of thousands of coaches.

When a partner decides to host a UK Coaching workshop – whether that’s a Safeguarding and Protecting Children event in the Isle of Man or Behaviour Change Tactics session in Birmingham – it’s UK Coaching Solutions they interact with. Unless it’s a workshop being provided by a Licensed Workshop Partner, it’s UK Coaching Solutions which steps in to make your event run as smoothly as possible right from the start.

Tell us your preferred date and time and we will arrange for one of our tutors to deliver the session. We will help market the event too if you want us to. We will send you the accompanying learning materials; our trainer will run the session and we will email your learners their certificates after the event.

The partnership leveraged its combined strengths more recently with the launch of a series of interactive online classrooms. Delivered by experienced UK Coaching-accredited tutors, they allow learners to discuss challenges and solve problems together in a safe virtual environment, providing valuable continuity of learning during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Image of the Safeguarding and Protecting Children: A Guide for Sportspeople workbook

Click here for more information on UK Coaching Workshops, including more details on how you can become a Licensed Workshop Partner. Here you’ll also find information on further digital learning options provided by UK Coaching and facilitated by UK Coaching Solutions.

Working in harmony with our on-site warehouse, your customers can order your resources and materials through online portals, via websites or even over the telephone. Instant processing and efficient delivery ensures your customers receive their goods in the minimum amount of time. That leaves you free to focus on keeping the content fresh and the money coming in.

Whether your learners have attended or achieved, you’ll be wanting to recognise the occasion by issuing some kind of certificate. We have hard copy and digital solutions suitable for all scales and budgets. Once we have received the relevant learner data, we handle the entire certification process via our email or hard copy mailing solutions. And don’t worry, all our systems and processes are fully GDPR-compliant.

We are very happy with the full-service certification offer that UK Coaching Solutions provides. Once the automated data transfer system was set up, the demands on our time to issue certificates was virtually nil.

– Kate Earl, Customer Support Manager, England and Wales Cricket Board

 

You’ve got a body of people and you need to ensure they receive membership packs, bespoke ID cards, or simple communications without needing to manage the whole process yourself. Our tailored offer – sometimes working in partnership with colleagues in our Creative and Procurement teams – means you can sit back and relax while our experts take care of all of your members’ needs.

If you need to contact a group of people in a hurry and are looking for a high response rate then our targeted mailing solutions bring a knowledge and experience to anything from the most simple to complicated mailing project. We understand mailing so you don’t have to. Dreaded phrases like mail merge and indicia can be a thing of the past!

Creative and Procurement

If you’re looking for high-end creative at affordable prices then look no further. Our in-house creative team produces top quality visual and written output that inspires, educates, informs and entertains.

We are on hand to deliver hassle-free, head-turning results, no matter if you require a quick-win social media campaign or an in-depth conference and exhibition solution.

We work hand-in-hand with some of the biggest and best print and promotional material suppliers in the country and we pass these savings on to you.

We design meaningful, memorable brands that trigger a positive response from our customers whether as a completely new identity or a refresh of an existing programme. We bring vibrancy and energy to every project and add the skills of a talented group of individuals to your team.

We design for both print and digital; always working in partnership to craft something bespoke and special. Whether it’s a standalone resource, social media campaign or series of online infographics, we know our market and always deliver with panache.

UK Coaching Solutions knew exactly what we were trying to get from our resources, and the design team’s work on this project was fantastic.

– Kate Moss, National School and Young People Development Coordinator, Archery GB

Bring your story to life in an engaging and immersive manner by working hand-in-hand on something special with our digital animation team. This format really brings your story to life and certainly creates that wow factor.

If you have the raw video and audio footage (or need to repurpose some existing content) and want someone to add the final polish and sheen to your project, then look no further.

Podcasts, online videos and DVD programmes are all strings to our varied editing bow.

We also understand the latest technologies so you don’t have to. We produce digital magazines, websites, email newsletters and interactive documents (plus anything else you find on a screen).

GB Hockey (below) approached us to design a new Menu of Learning to help bring their full coaching offer to market. Alongside the existing Digital Document, also hosted on the Joomag platform, these menus inform hockey coaches what resources are available and their interactivity allows that interest to quickly be turned into a booking or purchase.

Even in a digital-first world there's still space for a traditionally published printed resource (just ask some of our biggest customers). Our skill is blending leading authors, meticulous editors, accurate typesetters, proofreaders and procurement experts to create an efficient and cost-effective production process from start to finish.

When it comes to the words, our experienced journalists, editors and copywriters ensure the result is a polished and professional project; whether it’s a bespoke magazine commission or a one-off resource.

Sometimes you need something just a little bit different. We supply promotional material in an array of shapes and sizes for a vast range of purposes. Whatever you’re trying to achieve, whatever behaviour you’re trying to encourage, we’ve got the right option for your brand, and your audience, to make it happen. A great giveaway is a fantastic way to engage with people and sometimes the most engaging gift for a particular campaign or event is simply something with your name on.

As a complete one-stop shop, we understand the best vehicles for delivery and our print and media solutions free up considerable amounts of time, meaning you can focus your energy on the things that really matter to you. We have excellent connections with printers, suppliers and distribution houses, and pass on the benefits of this to you. Our experience here is unrivalled and you can benefit from our print economies of scale.

We love bringing your brand to life in person and there’s nothing more satisfying than delivering all the materials you require for a successful summit, conference, awards or corporate event.

Success Story

Following a successful project which brought to life the England and Wales Cricket Board’s new educational resource programme and membership scheme, UK Coaching Solutions was the natural choice when it came to selecting a supplier to brand a key conference and awards ceremony.

This is a blue ribbon event and one where we combined our design and procurement skills to great effect.

Following a day on-site where we led discussions between the client and the venue’s event management team, we came away with a firm idea about what needed to be done. We first set about bringing the two-day coaches’ conference to life with a series of mock-up designs on various pieces of branded collateral. Ranging from pillar surrounds and roller banners to feather flags and giant fabric drapes, we showed the client how this would look with several artist impressions of the decked out venue.

We then turned our attention to the glitzy coaching awards that were to take place on the first evening, and again showcased our creative flair to the client in a series of dynamic visuals. These included an amazing 8-metre wide stage backdrop that would be the focal point of the evening’s entertainment.

 

With the design stage complete, our procurement team took over and ensured more than 40 individual items were printed and delivered to the venue a few days ahead of the event.

Offering the complete one-stop shop, we then sent a team to the venue 24 hours before the event to install each of the items. This left the client free to concentrate on putting the finishing touches to the programme of events safe in the knowledge that the conference and awards ceremony were both looking great and everything would be ‘alright on the night’.

Storage and Fulfilment

You’ve spent time, money and effort in producing your materials, so why not entrust them to the experts when it comes to storage and fulfilment for the sport and physical activity sector?

We provide an expansive and experienced warehouse storage, fulfilment and distribution platform offering everything from basic pallet storage to sophisticated pick and pack operations.

Not request is too large or too small.

We have access to a modern, purpose-built warehouse which offers 2,500 dedicated pallet spaces and an experienced team of storage and fulfilment experts ready to handle requests of any shape and size.

In an increasingly technological world our digital warehouse – facilitated by our Online Stock Portal – allows you to gain instant access to your stock and warehousing functions. Think of it as your own safe and secure flexible storage and order processing platform, available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

This online portal lets customers check stock levels and place orders from the comfort of their own office or home. You can instantly see who has signed for deliveries and provides full order visibility on desktop computer or mobile device offering complete control and peace of mind.

From day one, the UK Coaching Solutions Warehouse Team has been superb. There is no such thing as a typical UKAD order as our goods range from the smallest promotional item to large-scale event branding materials. However, we have found both the online and in-person service to be slick, efficient and accurate.

– Amanda Hudson, Head of Education and Athlete Support, UK Anti-Doping.

Efficient and precise systems combined with experienced personnel deliver a reliable, end-to-end service to customers no matter the size of the order. We pride ourselves on a fast turnaround of goods with all work extensively checked to ensure accuracy and the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Once an order is received, it’s on its way to the end customer in the blink of an eye.

We have long-established relationships with many transport operators from local hauliers and small van operators to numerous blue chip transport organisations. Simply tell us what needs delivering to where and by when (or what needs picking up and returning to our warehouse) and we’ll do the rest. Likewise, we’ll handle any incoming stock with the care and dexterity you require.

Success Story

Since June 2017, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has entrusted the warehousing of its educational and athlete support material to the team at UK Coaching Solutions.

Having successfully worked with the Creative Services department and its procurement function for a number of years, it seemed a logical and efficient step to bring the storage and fulfilment of such materials under the same roof.

Following initial scoping meetings, UK Coaching Solutions handled the transition of goods from the previous supplier in a timely and professional manner.

Site visits were made, agreements put in place and transportation managed to ensure over 50,000 individual items were received, checked and booked on to stock in its new home within 48 hours.

UKAD staff were then given individual login credentials to our Online Stock Portal, providing real-time visibility of all items held in a virtual warehouse. From there, it’s only a few clicks to request the despatch of goods, or monitor any orders already in progress.

Requested goods are picked and packed via an experienced team of warehouse operatives, who then utilise UK Coaching Solutions' longstanding arrangements with multiple carriers to advise and arrange the appropriate method of despatch depending on lead time, size, weight or value of the consignment.

Learning and Assessment

When it comes to learning and assessment, we take our role seriously. As such, almost 20 years ago we created our 1st4sport brand to emphasise our expertise in this field.

Today, 1st4sport Qualifications is an awarding organisation recognised and regulated in England by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (plus in Wales by Qualifications Wales, in Northern Ireland by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, and in Scotland by the Scottish Qualifications Authority).

Via this industry-leading brand, we specialise in offering vocational and occupational qualifications, plus informal learning experiences, to the active leisure, learning and well-being sector. 

Working in true partnership, we’re much more than an awarding body. By building an alliance to suit you, we can provide the perfect-match solution you’re looking for – and one that earns you income on every registration.

If you’re interested in developing a qualification then with 1st4sport Qualifications as your partner, you can choose from a variety of options designed to meet your needs:

Service Offer A – Use us as your awarding body for existing qualifications/programmes you offer.
Service Offer B – We place your qualifications on the appropriate qualifications framework.
Service Offer C – Take advantage of our consultancy to develop best-practice qualifications, learning programmes and added-value resources.
Service Offer D – Pick ‘n’ mix from: awarding body services; qualification development; resource development; internal accreditation; course authorisation; resource despatch; learner registration; financial processing; delivery centre approval; quality assurance; data collection; course evaluation; warehousing; and distribution.

Finally, we have a progressive approach to learning and our digital offer – via a user-friendly, white label, eLearning system – plus accompanying telephone or email support, which provides a flexible solution for programmes that involve online learning.

As a complete package offer, our experienced learning designers can help you build and deliver your digital learning. We can host and support the programme for you if required.

Or if you already have the digital package in hand, we can supply a simple and cost-effective hosting only solution – providing a reliable and clear route to market.

Success Story

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) partnered with the UK Coaching Group in May 2020 to facilitate a successful return to racing in the UK via the development, support and hosting of a specialist Covid 19-related digital learning programme. 

The programme has since been accessed by more than 20,000 and played a vital role in the BHA becoming one of the first sports to return to activity during the current pandemic.

Working hand in hand with BHA’s Education and Training Team and its Chief Medical Adviser, the 1st4sport Learning Team created a bespoke course within a short 10-working day window. 

This compulsory online education module provides racecourse attendees with a baseline understanding of Covid-19, social distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, racecourse protocols and PPE requirements.

 

Combining audio and video content with assessment options to prove awareness and understanding, individuals are required to show their digital certification of competition prior to entry to a racecourse on race day.

The module is available to complete on the Racing2Learn platform, an online education and training portal which 1st4sport created and hosts on behalf of BHA.

Meanwhile, The UK Coaching Solutions customer service team provides email and telephone support to learners who encounter any technical difficulties and are on hand to answer any questions relating to certification and next steps.