Formation of Federation for Taekwon Do in the UK Summary as at Mid June 2011
10th April 2013

The British Taekwondo Council (BTC) - as the GB/UK level National Governing Body for Taekwondo recognised by the five Sports Councils under their joint policy - and the British Taekwondo Control Board (BTCB) – as the Governing Body for WTF Taekwondo in the UK recognised by the World Taekwondo Federation – have agreed to form a federation.

The British Taekwondo Council (BTC) - as the GB/UK level National Governing Body for Taekwondo recognised by the five Sports Councils under their joint policy - and the British Taekwondo Control Board (BTCB) – as the Governing Body for WTF Taekwondo in the UK recognised by the World Taekwondo Federation – have agreed to form a federation.

An informal summary of the key purposes identified for the federation is as follows:

• Provide member organisations in the UK with a forum to work together on common objectives.
• Act as the unified point of reference for all forms of Taekwondo for the public.
• Act as the unified voice of Taekwondo for key funders, and to work to meet funders’ needs through the federation’s member organisations.
• Support member organisations to grow and be successful.
• Work to enhance the enjoyment of Taekwondo in the UK through promoting quality coaching.
• Promote the values and contribution of Taekwondo to UK national life.

In order to manage matters relevant to the federation, an overarching corporate structure has been set up as a company limited by guarantee, Taekwondo Organisation Limited (TOL). In addition to the BTC and the BTCB – in their respective governing body roles – Sport Taekwondo UK Ltd (STUK) – in its role as the key delivery body managing the World Class Performance Programme (funded by UK Sport) and the Excel Programme (funded by Sport England) - is also represented on the TOL Board.

The TOL Board is to consist of 7 directors:

• 1 independent Chair recruited from outside the sport’s various existing bodies;
• 2 non-executive directors (with relevant expertise in financial management and commercial matters) recruited from outside the sport’s various existing bodies
• 1 director nominated by the BTC (with relevant expertise to cover ITF strand matters)
• 1 director nominated by the BTC (with relevant expertise to cover Independent strand matters)
• 1 director nominated by the BTCB (with relevant expertise to cover WTF strand matters)
• 1 director nominated by STUK (with relevant expertise to cover Programmes delivery matters)

TOL is still in the process of formation. The initial TOL Board held its inaugural meeting on 2 June 2011. TOL work-in-progress includes:

• adaptation of TOL’s standard Companies House articles of association to the specific structure and purposes of the federation;
• drafting role descriptions for, and then moving to recruit, the independent chair and two non-executive directors for TOL (further NEDs may be recruited in future if TOL identifies skills gaps that need to be filled);
• putting in place the processes and procedures for TOL, the BTCB and the BTC to meet basic standards of assurance with regard to the potential future management of public funds (STUK already meets relevant assurance levels).