Read about Tom Cruise and Andy Burnham in Mission Possible, the first in a series of Park Life blogs from our Chief Executive, Dr Chris Low.

I have never skydived out of a cargo plane. I have never climbed up the outside of the world’s tallest building. I have never raced through the streets of Vienna on a motorbike. But the one thing that I do share with Tom Cruise is a belief that the mission . . . is possible.

In fact I believe that the missions are possible. As in the UK Government missions.

Here at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park amazing things are happening to contribute to achieving the government’s missions across economic growth, opportunity creation, improved health, and crime reduction. But don’t take my word for it, this is what the government’s own Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Dame Angela McLean, had to say about the Park when she visited:

“Their translational work across AI, diagnostics, rehabilitation, and food tech all contributes to key UK Government missions and will undoubtedly make even more of an impact through the exciting plans in place for the coming years.”

Or the Minister for Sport, Stephanie Peacock MP:

“It was a privilege to visit Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park and see how it directly aligns with four missions of the UK Government – health, economic growth, opportunity, and crime prevention. It’s inspiring to see how the Park embodies the Olympic legacy through helping cancer patients stay active; driving inward investment; creating world-class opportunities for young people; and using sport to tackle social challenges to make communities stronger, healthier, and more connected.”

Another great example is the collaboration between the Park’s University Technical College (UTC) and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Sheffield Children’s will open a £25m National Centre for Child Health Technology on the Park in 2026. In the meantime, they have created a child health tech accelerator programme that has attracted start-ups and scale-ups from all over Europe. The programme includes the companies being reverse mentored by students from the UTC.

The UTC also leads a national digital health skills programme backed by Google and NHS England to produce the healthtech workforce of the future. Reforming the NHS – tick. Innovation-driven economic growth – tick. Creating opportunity for young people – tick.

The Park is not just a place. It represents the Olympic ideal, a beacon for what is possible when ability, support, motivation and belief combine in a collaborative endeavour.

This mindset is exemplified by the Park’s founder, Rt Hon Richard Caborn, a retired government minister who chaired the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park board for many years.

Richard’s former ministerial colleague and now Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was at the Park recently, along with the other metro mayors, for the inaugural Mayoral Innovation Exchange hosted by the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard.

Never one to miss a promotional opportunity for the 2012 legacy, Richard asked me to give Andy a copy of his book, ‘London 2012: From Concept to Legacy’. As you can see from the photo, Andy was delighted – another successful mission.

Anyway, I need to sign off now as it’s time for my skydiving class. Wish me luck!