Nuffield Health has become the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)’s 50th employer partner and its new skills development associate.

CIMSPA, the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector, now has a workforce development project that covers more than 350 facilities, including fitness and wellbeing gyms, corporate fitness and wellbeing centres and hospitals.

More than 1,500 Nuffield Health staff, mainly personal trainers, will transfer into CIMSPA’s exercise and fitness membership over the coming year and will be listed on its directory.

The Nuffield Health Academy, an in-house training school, will also be registered as a CIMSPA skills development partner, allowing the academy’s staff training and CPD offer to be recognised by the sector’s chartered institute.

Tara Dillon, CIMSPA chief executive, said: “This is a huge leap forward for our work, and demonstrates the increasing momentum CIMSPA has built up through our employer partnerships. In just one year, employers representing 60,000 staff have committed to keeping their workforce development within the CIMSPA ecosystem of recognised awarding organisations, training providers and education partners.”

Rick Crawford, Nuffield Health fitness director, said: “As one of the UK’s largest not-for-profit healthcare organisations we strive to deliver high quality services which are effective in helping our members, clients and patients achieve the best level of health, fitness and wellbeing that they possibly can.

“By partnering with CIMSPA we will continue to be at the forefront of the industry when it comes to developing the standards that we as an operator require from current and future fitness employees.”