Spirit of 2012, in collaboration with Loughborough University and Counsel, recently hosted a roundtable event at Loughborough London to discuss the findings of a feasibility study looking at the potential for a UK Capital of Sport
The feasibility study, which was launched in September 2023 and led by Dr Verity Postlethwaite from Loughborough University’s School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, sought to gather public appetite for a UK Capital of Sport, and discuss the different models this could take. Over the course of the study, the project team gathered evidence and insight from over 150 different of voices in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales through online public polling, interviews, presentations and workshops.
A number of factors were raised which any future model of a Capital of Sport must consider including political, economic and environmental considerations. Due to these considerations, the need to bring along key stakeholders – communities, organisers, policymakers and hosts – from the start was highlighted.
The discussion in London, which brought together leading voices from across the UK in sport, events, research and government, was wide-ranging and open where each contributor fed in their own unique insight. Contributors discussed the pros and cons of various models put forward by the feasibility study, and offered some new ideas based on their experiences. Despite the current economic climate in the UK and the challenges faced by event organisers, including growing pressures on event organisers to deliver substantive social legacies, what was clear is that those in the room believed that there was an appetite for some sort of UK Capital of Sport model which had the health and wellbeing of communities at its heart. Positively, a number of current initiatives and plans for the future were raised, with contributors noting how the varying concepts of the Capital of Sport tested in this feasibility study would complement local, regional and national efforts to deliver meaningful changes for host communities.
Speaking after the event, Spirit chief executive Ruth Hollis said: “The UK Cities of Culture programme has shown how the delivery of social outcomes can be accelerated by the inspiration, investment and partnerships that an event designation can bring.
After a rigorous process of testing the idea with policymakers, funders, interested parties and the public to see whether this model could be applied to sport and physical activity, and what it could add to the events ecosystem of the UK, I am delighted to see that this report sets out different models that could see physical activity integrated into a new or existing designation to bring the benefits seen by Cities of Culture to sport and physical activity. We’re grateful to Counsel and Loughborough University for their detailed work on the feasibility study, to Loughborough London for providing the space for this roundtable launch, and especially to all the stakeholders, from across sectors and across the UK that contributed their expertise to this project.
Dr Verity Postlethwaite said: “Over 12 months ago, we embarked on this exciting study. The roundtable event in London punctuated the handover of our findings back to Spirit of 2012 who will work in the coming months to share the study and productively contribute to the events sector in the UK. Loughborough University provided a stimulating backdrop for the discussion and hopefully many more people will find the range of outputs from our study valuable.
James Allen, Director of Counsel Ltd, said: “We’re very grateful for the opportunity of working on this exciting concept and we hope we’ve been able to play a part in bringing this to life. The feasibility has been very thoroughly tested, and in a really challenging period for the UK. we have a high level of confidence that the Capital of Sport is feasible, attractive and offers something distinctive to the wider UK events ecosystem.
A focus of our work and a request to those taking this further is to think really carefully about how communities and places facing the greatest challenges can be supported to benefit from these opportunities. There are many brilliant, resourceful and dynamic people and groups often working in the most challenged places. They deserve our help and support to make sure that the future Capital Sport is for them and not just something that goes to the best equipped, most experienced and most savvy locations.”