Introduction

The events of the last two months have caused great anxiety in UK athletics, with the insolvency of the British Athletic Federation (BAF) and subsequent uncertainty over the future of the sport. Throughout this time, the BAF Chief Executive, David Moorcroft, has been working alongside the UK Sports Council and the Administrators to determine a way ahead. This work has resulted in a decision to establish a new company known as UK Athletics '98 for a period of one year, supported by UK Sports Council funds of approximately £300,000. UK Athletics '98 will have two distinct roles, of which the first will take priority:

1. To facilitate a process to design and implement a new, long-term structure for UK Athletics.

2. To perform the essential activities and functions of former BAF until the new structure is in place.

These roles will be addressed through two separate processes. The first will involve representatives from all aspects of UK Athletics and be overseen by a steering group. The latter will be managed by David Moorcroft on a day to day basis, accountable to a small group of non-executive directors.

In both cases, any decisions will be driven primarily by the needs of athletes and by a long-term desire to achieve co-operation and integration throughout UK athletics.

Designing a new structure for UK athletics

UK athletics now has the unique opportunity to take a fresh look at itself and to create new structures and systems which can successfully support our athletes for years to come. UK Athletics '98 will therefore facilitate a professionally managed process during the next 12 months to agree and implement a robust new structure for the sport.

It is hoped that this process will look not only at possible structures for a new UK body (and indeed at whether such a body is needed) but also at the functions and structures of the home country associations. Only in this way can a structure be created which makes best use of all available resources and which allows the sports to move forward with shared goals and direction.

It is also intended to begin by looking not at possible structures and responsibilities, but rather at what we want to achieve in UK athletics and what functions and funding are needed to get there. Such an approach is more likely to result in options which move beyond the boundaries of what is in place today.

The process will be 'owned' by athletics and involve representatives from all parts of the sport. A steering group is being appointed to review findings as they emerge and to agree final proposals. The group will be chaired by the Rt. Hon Sir Christopher Chataway, and includes:

• David Moorcroft

• Two senior international athletes (names to be confirmed)

• Seven representatives of the home country athletic associations (one from each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Midlands, the North of England and the South of England)

• Three external parties chosen for their areas of professional competence (also acting as non-executive directors for 1998 operations - see later)
  
  • Sir Paul Fox (former Chairman of ITN and Managing Director of BBC network television).

  • Ronnie Kells (retiring Group Chief Executive of Ulster Bank)

  • Karena Vleck (Solicitor in Company/Commercial, Farrers & Co.)

Observers will also be present from the UK and English Sports Councils.

A large number of people from many different parts of the sport will be invited to participate in generating ideas and evaluating proposals. Input will be channelled through interviews, workshops and focus groups to be held over the coming months. In addition, a broad communications programme will be undertaken to inform, and receive feed-back from, a wider athletics audience.

The process will be managed on a day to day basis by a small project team, including 2 full-time members from an international consulting firm. The firm, which has agreed to support UK athletics for 3 months at no cost, has significant experience in managing change in many of the world's top companies and will be well placed to act as independent facilitators.

It is hoped that an overall framework for the future organisation of UK athletics will be agreed by early March 1998 (i.e. within four months) and that detail around this framework will be fleshed out by August 1998. The new structure should be in place by December 1998, thus replacing UK Athletics '98.

Performing the essential activities and functions of Former BAF during 1998

While the process is underway to develop a robust, long-term structure for UK athletics, a temporary body has been established to undertake the essential activities and functions of the former BAF during 1998. These functions (relating to coach education, IAAF liaison, anti doping procedures, rules, charities and insurance) will be performed on a scaled-down basis, within the constraints of UK Sports Council funding. The lottery-funded "Performance Athlete Services" will continue to look after the needs of elite athletes during 1998.

David Moorcroft, supported by a small team of professional staff, will manage activities on a day to day basis, initially located at the former BAF Head-Quarters in Birmingham. Moorcroft will be accountable to a group of four independent directors for the course of 1998, chosen for their professional competence and relative independence to the sport - Sir Christopher Chataway (Chairman), Sir Paul Fox, Ronnie Kells and Karena Vleck. All decisions made during this time will aim to maintain as much flexibility as possible for those leading the new structure once it is in place in December 1998.

Different parts of the sport (in particular the home country association) will be consulted as appropriate on an on-going basis.