Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Chair, Dr Sherry Kothari, and Chief Executive, Dr Chris Low, represented the Park at the YHealth for Growth event, held at the House of Commons on 22 October.

Hosted by Fabian Hamilton MP, the parliamentary reception brought together influential voices to discuss health inequalities in Yorkshire and Humber and their impact on economic growth.

The event, organised by Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, Yorkshire Universities, and the NHS Confederation, showcased pioneering work across the region, aimed at promoting the role of health in driving economic and inclusive growth. Central to the discussions were the findings of the “Empowering Local Places for Health and Prosperity” white paper, which highlights the vital connection between improving health outcomes and driving economic progress in Yorkshire.

The Park’s innovative projects, such as the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub, the National Centre for Child Health Technology, and the National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering were spotlighted for their role in addressing the health and economic challenges facing the region.

Susan Thomas, Director at Google Health UK, a key partner in the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub, said: “It was a pleasure to support South Yorkshire colleagues at this event and the Digital Health Hub is a great example of how focusing efforts around digital health can really drive change. Our aim is to improve peoples’ health and quality of life by supporting the creation of innovative digital health tools.”

Professor Liz Mossop, Vice Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, gave a keynote speech which referenced Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park as a shining example of a place-based solution making tangible progress in the region. Attendees included government representatives, cross-party MPs, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and other leading organisations from across Yorkshire and Humber.

Oliver Coppard, the Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: “My absolute mission is to build a healthier, wealthier, and happier South Yorkshire. Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is a genuinely world-class facility that will play a vital role in how we achieve that ambition.

“Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park doesn’t just improve health outcomes through its cutting edge research, it’s also a leader in health innovation through collaborations such as the National Centre for Child Health Technology, reducing health inequalities across South Yorkshire.

“It also inspires our young people by training athletes including those who achieved success at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics and giving local communities the opportunity to train and compete alongside the best.’”

With health inequalities costing the UK economy £180 billion a year, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park continues to lead the way in showing how innovative health solutions and partnerships can be catalysts for regional and national economic development.

Dr Chris Low, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Chief Executive, added: “Central government recognises the Park’s triple-mission impact across health, opportunity and economic growth. In a visit earlier this year the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser saw first-hand the impact a place based partnership driven approach can have in helping to achieve these missions.”

Pictured left to right:
Dr Susan Thomas, Google – Fabian Hamilton MP – Dr Chris Low, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park – Professor Liz Mossop, Sheffield Hallam University – Steven Pleasant, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority