Ebbsfleet’s Coker praises UK Coaching’s First Aid programme
News by Run
Footballer Ben Coker has backed UK Coaching’s First Aid learning, highlighting the importance of first aid knowledge in grassroots sport where coaches and volunteers are often first responders.
Footballer Ben Coker of Ebbsfleet United has backed the First Aid learning from UK Coaching, describing it as an important step in strengthening safety standards across grassroots sport.
Coker, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 15 and later battled back from a career-threatening double ruptured knee ligament injury, understands first-hand the importance of medical awareness and timely intervention in sport.
He said:
“It is so important that coaches, and the general public, can have access to first aid training as sport doesn’t just happen in scenarios where there are fully trained medical staff waiting to react."
“So many times growing up we would be in the local park or playing for a local junior team which, of course, was reliant on volunteers, so if injury struck there wasn’t a guarantee someone would be able to help in the right way.”
The defender and midfielder, whose career has taken in successful spells at Southend United, Colchester United and Stevenage, added:
“However, this First Aid offer from UK Coaching is going to allow coaches and members of the public to access important information and be able to help in the unfortunate case an incident happens.”
The programme has been developed in response to the Duty of Care in Sport Report led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, which highlighted significant gaps in medical provision and first aid readiness at community and grassroots level.
Findings revealed that, in many sporting environments, coaches are often the first responders when a medical incident occurs.
UK Coaching’s First Aid offer aims to equip coaches, parents and spectators with the practical skills and confidence needed to respond effectively to injuries and medical emergencies, helping to create safer environments for participants at every level of sport.
The tiered approach begins with a funded Introduction to First Aid eLearning, which is available free of charge. It provides a basic level of first aid knowledge for people involved in sport and physical activity. For those who require more advanced training, additional paid courses and learning options are also available.
The programme helps remove financial barriers to essential training and reinforces the principle that participant welfare must sit at the heart of coaching practice.
Mark Gannon, CEO of UK Coaching, said:
Every coach holds a fundamental duty of care to the people they coach. Safeguarding participants’ physical wellbeing is not optional; it is a core responsibility of the role.
Creating safe environments means being prepared if things go wrong.
A basic understanding of first aid is therefore non-negotiable. It is an essential part of coaching practice and a clear demonstration that people always come first.
That’s why we are funding the Introduction to First Aid in Sport and Physical Activity, allowing people involved in and around sport to build a basic level of first aid knowledge, and ensuring coaches across the country have the confidence to act quickly and appropriately if and when incidents occur.
Mark Gannon, CEO of UK Coaching
First Aid learning is available to people operating at all levels of sport and physical activity across the UK.
First Aid learning
To find out more about UK Coaching’s First Aid offer, visit
200,000+ Coaches, One Community
Join UK Coaching Club today for free, and gain free access to expert coaching guides, insightful videos, practical tools, and resources like Coaching Conversations and Duty to Care. Everything you need to grow and thrive as a coach all in one place.
Join the Club