News from Sajeimpact and partners
Sometime you just need to say ‘Thank You’ and admire volunteers who dedicate so much time to a simple local sports club. 🏉After a busy week - well half a week as I was on holiday until Wednesday - it was so good to catch up with a group of people who will always remains deep friends through the shared passion of hashtag#rugby
Congratulations to Leicestershire Business Voice on their landmark 25th anniversary celebration dinner last night at Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
Another chapter closes as we held the last meeting of the Loughborough Town Deal Board yesterday at the newly opened Generator Loughborough - one of our successful projects opened just last month.
I had an uplifting time spent yesterday at Loughborough University celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Volleyball England alongside the National Championships.
While many of you know me for my life in rugby, volleyball holds a massive place in my sporting journey. It took me back to my younger days playing for school, the Boys' Brigade, De Montfort University , and my local club, Leicester PVC.
Another amazing evening put on by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) with the fantastic Sanjib Sahota at Sanjib 8 delivering once again. Thanks for the invite and hospitality Scott Knowles
It was certainly a celebration of what our region has to offer - rich culture and richly diverse communities.
Off the back of the Anthropy UK message to "leave your ego and silo at the door" I am trying to work across key partners and stakeholders across the City County and Rutland to generate greater collaboration and system thinking for our 1 million residents!
So today it was interesting to speak to the leadership at Blaby DC about their vision and plans in my roles Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership and Active Together (Top points for having the video on in reception to encourage people to move! with some top tips for elderly residents!) Thanks to Cllr Ben Taylor for the invite.
Back to talking Devolution again last week for an event with Leicestershire Business Voice as Chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership. I do love a panel after a day teaching Cranfield School of Management.
As well as talking to much I did plenty of listening; I get the frustration of where we sit in the devolution timetable. But we are where we are.
It’s always a honour to be invited by Sporting Equals especially to last night’s Awards in London.
But I’m struck by the balance between celebration and the reality of our current climate. In the last 9 years of being involved in the event the need for the work od SE is even greater sadly. Progress isn’t always linear
Last week I got a sneak peek inside The Generator before it opens to Loughborough next Friday — and it's worth the wait.
This restored 1930s industrial building on Packe Street has been transformed into a genuine multidisciplinary arts hub for the town. A £3m+ restoration. It has been years of hard work and sleepless nights from a volunteer CIC board, the new CEO Jess Vollar Bell. It’s’ had a varied funding coalition — Town Deal, Arts Council, Heritage Fund, Community Ownership Fund, crowdfunding, and private donors all pulling in the same direction.
I spoke at Anthropy on the subject of Sport, sharing insights on how athletic systems shape community wellbeing, drive equitable access to physical activity, and unlock long-term social and economic impact. Drawing on research and practical case studies, I highlighted strategies for inclusive program design, measurement frameworks that capture both performance and social outcomes, and partnerships that scale impact across diverse populations. The session underscored sport’s unique capacity to foster resilience, leadership, and social cohesion when guided by deliberate, purpose-driven strategy
