Spirit of 2012 has announced the final learning partner, Loughborough University, who will use Spirit’s research and learning around inclusion and disability to create a digital learning resource. The team at Loughborough join the other two partners – Pro Bono Economics & Belong: The Cohesion and Integration Network – appointed earlier in the year.
With the organisation scheduled to spend out and close in 2026, Spirit of 2012 – the official legacy funder of the London 2012 Games – sought out “legacy learning partner” organisations who strongly aligned with Spirit’s purpose and impact areas with which to share the learning and insights they have gathered over ten years.
Loughborough University will build on then inclusive ethos championed by Spirit of 2012 to explore how the translate the wealth of Spirit’s evidence to create an accessible digital learning resource for early years and primary education settings. The content will be produced using a digital storytelling approach to disrupt taken for granted assumptions about sport, physical activity and disability that are often learnt from an early age.
Their team is made up of experts from across the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and the School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University who are passionate about centring diverse voices and stories in translational research. Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
Ruth Hollis, Chief Executive, Spirit of 2012 said: “We are very fortunate to have Loughborough University join us as our last legacy learning partner. As they are a leader in academia, sport and research, we feel there is no-one better placed than their team to create a resource which makes our inclusion and physical activity knowledge accessible to young people.”
Verity Postlethwaite, lead researcher on the Loughborough University project, said: “We are tremendously excited to strengthen our partnership with Spirit of 2012 and creatively utilize Spirit’s rich research and learnings around inclusion. We look forward to co-designing and co-creating each step of our project with Spirit of 2012 and a diversity of voices and communities.”