ABOUT CRAWLEY PARKOUR C.I.C
CRAWLEY PARKOUR C.I.C is a community-minded company that is passionate about coaching, supporting, & developing people interested in parkour and functional fitness.
Our mission is to provide benefit to a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and abilities in and around Crawley with the provision of affordable, accessible, inclusive physical activity programs - all within a welcoming environment.
Crawley Parkour C.I.C. has taught a range of ages from 3 all the way through to 65+, with a focus on trying to get people active and happy with their exercise regime.
We provide fun and safe coaching sessions for schools, youth clubs, scout groups, disabilities, males and females, ethnic minorities, strengthening community spirit and cohesion through all that we do.
Parkour or Freerunning, now an official sport as recognised by Sport England, is the art of overcoming obstacles in all their forms. Using your environment as a tool and a platform to achieve amazing awe-inspiring feats of physical fitness, and the mental discipline required to perform Parkour to help achieve mental well-being.
Our New Venue is COMING SOON!
After 8 exciting years at our previous venue, Traversal, we are excited to be bringing you a NEW indoor parkour venue, located in Three Bridges.
This new venue is more connected to mainline train station and bus routes, as well as more parking available for customers of our sessions (Though we recommend dropping and going where possible)
We are in the process of building and developing this venue, and we are looking to announce an exciting new opening date for you very soon.
You will still find all of our regular sessions at this new venue once we open, including:
Parkour classes, workshops, and open sessions.
Learn to flip & acrobatic classes
Birthday parties
Private 1to1 or Group Sessions.
Scout, Explorers & Corporate Team Building Sessions.
Although this will be our base of operations, we also deliver classes in local schools in Crawley & West Sussex. We pride ourselves on delivery safe, efficient, and high quality parkour coaching that is accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities.
Interested in parkour classes, or working with Crawley Parkour? Click the button below to get in touch!
Check Out a Behind The Scenes!
2018 - 2026
Our first venue, called Traversal, was the FIRST & ONLY indoor parkour facility in West Sussex.
We opened the doors to this venue in February 2018, and for over 8 years we delivered over a thousand parkour classes, sessions, birthday parties, Scout groups, and more.
It has a very special place in our hears, and whilst we are sad that we have closed the doors to this venue, we’re very excited for the next chapter for our business.
It’s challenging running a small business - We managed to survive a pandemic, rising costs, and challenging times.
Our move to a new venue is to bring more benefit to our community. Our new space is easier to get to, has a stronger build and design, all still delivered by the same coaching team that you’re familiar with.
Our History
Crawley Borough Council’s Arts Development team received funding from The Arts Council of England in 2004 for a Parkour and dance project to engage boys with dance and physical activity.
In 2006, Crawley Borough Council (CBC) began working with The Urban Playground (UPG) team, a Brighton-based company which has provided a range of Parkour workshop programmes at K2 Crawley and in community settings around Crawley.
UPG, in collaboration with Crawley Parkour were commissioned to design the Parkour Training Area (PKTA) in the Pocket Park on Breezehurst Drive, Bewbush. The PKTA, which opened in 2009, was one of the first Parkour training parks in the country at the time and has proven to be a hit with young people in and around Crawley.
Young Crawley resident, Drew Ratcliff was on the first UPG workshop programme in early 2006. Aged just 13 at the time, they were practicing Parkour, having seen it on the internet and were “hanging around” the streets, but by their own admission they were not practicing safe Parkour.
Drew and Josh have moved on since then, leading many Parkour training workshops at K2 Crawley and Bewbush PKTA since 2013, having attained level 2 and level 1 official coaching accreditation respectively, with the national governing body for the activity, Parkour UK. Drew and Josh have been continuously supported by Freedom Leisure and CBC to deliver workshops in Crawley and to set up a local Parkour committee in 2015, in order to sustain long-term development of the activity.
Drew received a £175 award, for being one of the best coaches in the County for a Sportivate project (a Sport England funding initiative administered by County Sports Partnerships, which aims to engage with “non-sporty” young people aged 11-25 years). This enabled him to subsidize the cost of attending a strength and conditioning course, which helped him to personally develop his coaching and fitness levels further, and which he now teaches weightlifting classes to a variety of people.
