Tom Hughes, a Development Manager for Sheffield at Yorkshire Sport Foundation looks at the unique projects he’s involved with as a result of being based at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park and how being located in the area of the city where physical activity can have the greatest impact on Sheffield’s population.

Can you tell us briefly about your organisation and your role in that organisation?

Yorkshire Sport Foundation is the Active Partnership covering South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. We are one of 43 Active Partnerships nationally and we cover the nine districts within our region.

We work to deliver Sport England’s 2021–2031 Uniting The Movement strategy by connecting, influencing and providing opportunities to be active across South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

I am one of Yorkshire Sport Foundation’s Development Managers for Sheffield and I also support the work of the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) Sheffield in delivering the Move More strategy, which is the city strategy for sport and physical activity.

As part of my work with NCSEM I’ve recently had the privilege of bringing to life the second annual Move More Awards to showcase and celebrate the individuals and organisations promoting sport, exercise, and physical activity across Sheffield.

And my next big project is the Move More Conference in June which provides opportunities to learn more about the brilliant work happening across Sheffield, connect with partners, and attend workshops on sport, physical activity and health delivered by stakeholders from across the city.

How does being a part of Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park help contribute to your organisation’s mission and goals?

The vision within the current Move More strategy is for a healthier, happier and more connected Sheffield and the role requires me to connect, support and influence the work of local, regional and national organisations and to harness the power of sport, physical activity and movement to change people’s lives.

Being based at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park means I am located in the area of the city where physical activity can have the greatest impact on Sheffield’s population and I am also surrounded by partners across the wider Park that can help to achieve the goals.

Are there any unique partnerships or initiatives that have emerged as a result of being part of the Park?

There are a number of unique projects that have emerged over my time in this role and being based on the Park.

The Olympic Legacy in Action event which is entering its fifth year is one of those. The event has grown year on year and last year brought over 3,000 people to the Park to take part in a range of activities – from dragon boat racing on the canal, ice skating at Ice Sheffield, rugby and lacrosse at Steel City Stadium and netball and basketball at Canon Medical Arena to name but a few. This is remarkable to see as the initial plan was for a one off event in 2022 to mark 10 years since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We also work closely with colleagues from Sheffield Hallam University at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre to support the evaluation and learning of projects we bring to the city. And also collaborate with organisations like the Eagles Foundation, Everyone Active and B. Braun Sheffield Sharks to support delivery of activity to the communities of Sheffield.

Can you share any specific success stories from the last 12 months that highlight the advantages of being part of the Park?

Last September and October, working with partners across the city, we delivered the Kit Out Sheffield project which was a kit donation scheme that collected 800kg of sports clothing and equipment that could be redistributed to communities and organisations where access to suitable clothing is a barrier to being physically active.

We couldn’t have delivered this project without the support of partners across the Park who hosted donation and collection points, and Steel City Stadium which provided facilities for us to store, organise and distribute the clothing and equipment to partners across Sheffield.

Looking ahead, what future opportunities do you see for your organisation as a result of being part of the Park?

I believe we will continue to build on the existing relationships and partnerships to ensure there are more opportunities to utilise the Park to support people to become physically active.

Sheffield Hallam University will continue to be integral to the work that happens locally and regionally and ensure that we are able to articulate the impact we are having with the work that is being delivered in Sheffield.

We will continue to explore new ways of supporting the current organisations who call the Park home, and also build those connections with communities in the East of Sheffield and support them to access opportunities to be physically active.