Continuing to raise the standard of sports first aid training

At React First, our focus has always been simple. We provide high quality, practical first aid training that gives people the skills, knowledge and confidence to respond when it matters.

We wanted to share an update with our customers and partners working in sport, fitness and physical activity.
After six years as a CIMSPA Education Partner, React First has decided not to renew our CIMSPA partnership and course endorsements at this time.

We have been proud to be part of CIMSPA and to maintain their highest level of annual quality assurance through our 3-star Enhancing status. We have valued the opportunity to work alongside an organisation focused on supporting professional standards across the sport and physical activity sector.

Like any organisation, we regularly review our partnerships to ensure they continue to provide meaningful value for our customers and support our wider aims. After careful consideration, we have decided that instead, we will expand our links with organisations across the sport, fitness and physical activity sectors while investing in the specialist first aid training that React First is known for.

Our aim remains to develop and deliver specialist first aid qualifications that are directly designed around the needs of the people and organisations we train.

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React First expertise in sports first aid

React First has specialised in delivering first aid training for the sport, fitness and outdoor sectors for many years.

Our sports first aid courses have been developed through extensive experience of the environments in which our learners work, and through listening closely to the needs of coaches, instructors, clubs, schools and organisations responsible for participant safety.

The quality of our training comes from our specialist knowledge, our experienced trainers, our practical approach to learning, our robust assessment processes and our partnership with ITC First as a specialist awarding organisation.

Working with a specialist awarding organisation means that our qualifications are developed within a framework that understands the particular demands of first aid in sport, exercise and outdoor environments. This provides a strong foundation for qualifications that are both rigorous and relevant to the people who use them.

We have always believed that first aid training should reflect the environment in which people are working. A coach on the side of a pitch, a fitness instructor leading a class, or an outdoor instructor supervising an activity all face different challenges from someone working in a traditional workplace.

That is why our courses are designed around realistic situations, practical decision making and the confidence needed to respond effectively.

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Why sports-specific first aid matters

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) is an excellent one-day first aid qualification. It provides a strong foundation in essential lifesaving skills and is designed for adults working in lower-risk workplace environments.

However, sport is a different environment.

Coaches, personal trainers, instructors, sports therapists and fitness professionals work with people who are physically active, often at high intensity, and where injuries and medical incidents can occur during participation.

The first aid decisions required in these situations are not always the same as those in a typical workplace. A sports professional may need to recognise whether someone with a head injury should return to play, manage an acute sporting injury, understand when exercise should stop, or confidently respond when something goes wrong during training or competition.

That is why specialist sports first aid training is so important.

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Fitness Sports First Aid: a Level 3 qualification designed for the sport and fitness sector

Our Fitness Sports First Aid qualification was developed specifically for people working in sport, exercise and fitness.

It provides the ideal balance between a general workplace first aid course and a more extensive pitch-side qualification. Not everyone working in sport needs a two day pitchside course, but a standard workplace qualification, such as Emergency First Aid at Work, may not provide the sport-specific knowledge and decision-making skills they need.

This Level 3 First Aid for Sport, Exercise and Fitness qualification combines essential emergency first aid skills with injury asessment, return to activity decision making and realistic sports scenarios, helping participants develop the confidence to respond effectively in the situations they are most likely to encounter.

The course includes:

• Sports-specific incident management
• Primary survey and emergency decision-making
• CPR and AED use - Adult, Child and Drowning Protocols
• Choking and bleeding
• Concussion recognition
• Soft tissue injuries, strains and sprains
• Sports injury management
• Return-to-play decisions using SALTAPS
• Practical scenario-based training

For coaches, fitness professionals and instructors, this means training that is not just about achieving a certificate — it is about developing the knowledge, judgement and confidence needed to make good decisions when responsible for other people's safety.

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Continuing to support the sports community

Our commitment to supporting the sports community has not changed.

Over the coming months, we will be strengthening our links with sports organisations, clubs, governing bodies, coaches and training providers to better understand their first aid training needs and continue developing courses that provide genuine value to the sector.

There are many organisations working to support sport and physical activity, and we are looking forward to reconnecting with these communities and exploring new ways to support them through high-quality specialist first aid training.

We remain committed to listening to our customers and the wider sports community. If there is a clear demand for specific endorsements or CPD recognition that provides genuine value to those choosing training, we will always consider that feedback carefully as part of our ongoing development.

We would love to hear from you if you have thoughts, questions or feedback about the training needs of your organisation. Please feel free to get in touch with us by email or phone, you can find all of our contact details on our contact page.

Our aim is simple: to continue providing specialist sports first aid training that meets the real needs of the people responsible for keeping participants and athletes safe.

Thank you to CIMSPA for the partnership we have shared over the past six years, and thank you to all of our customers and partners for your continued support.

We look forward to continuing to help people develop the skills and confidence to respond when first aid is needed.

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