News from Sajeimpact and partners
Time to tackle the under representation of girls entering some of our growing economic sectors in Leicestershire.🙏Thanks for the invite to Charnwood Campus Science Innovation and Technology Park as part of hashtag#nationalcareers week to see the launch of our Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership “We Discover Industry”
Thirty years ago I helped win regeneration funding for Loughborough. Yesterday I saw the results of the latest ÂŁ50m investment.
My first experience of Loughborough Town Regeneration was as Chair of the Economic Development Committee in 1995 with Charnwood Borough Council. That is when we won the Single Regeneration Budget, where Martin Traynor OBE, FIH, MIoD and I first joined up on a Committee! Thirty years later we are still going in our new capacity with the Loughborough Town Deal Board as Chair and Vice Chair again!
Yesterday, as Chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership I had the pleasure of chairing a roundtable focused on a vital question: how do our universities step up as the primary engines of our local economy? A great setting at Space Park Leicester for the discussions.
🎓 In Leicester and Leicestershire, we have incredible assets—from space tech and advanced manufacturing to health sciences. But as the national policy shifts toward "place-based" investment, the role of the university is changing. We are very lucky to have three amazing Universities in our County University of Leicester De Montfort University and Loughborough University.. all vital parts of our eco system for innovation research employment, skills and much more !
Just to confirm my retirement from full contact rugby is nearly complete. Whilst I still ran out for the House of Commons rugby team against the Welsh Senedd at The Lensbury at the weekend it was 90% running touch and 10 minutes to be on the pitch to be at the end of the game for the photos!!
A wet and windy but brilliant evening at Welford Road on Friday supporting Active Together as Chair — celebrating the incredible work of our Let’s Get Moving Champions and Advocates, and enjoying a Leicester Tigers win to top it off! 🏉
I stopped writing my weekly blogs in February 2024 as I was so tied up in the General Election campaign. It has been the craziest two years of politics NOT to be writing so I am back for 2026 (although I have kicked off with a couple of blogs this week)
It would be great if you could subscribe.
Another fantastic awards evening organised by UK Coaching Mark Gannon MBA in Leeds last night.As always I am truly humbled by the years of dedicated coaching volunteering on display amongst the winners. I am reminded I should thank the countless hours of coaching I’ve had over the years in my sport (not just rugby 🏉) and perhaps I didn’t say thank you often enough. That’s why evenings like this are important - a chance to recognise unsung heroes.
A really special evening to be at Loughborough University showcasing the newly refurbished and improved facilities on campus. Well done to Nick Jennings CB FRS FREng with Joanne Jennings for continuing to support the ongoing journey to keep Loughborough at the top for sports excellence and research.
Highlight of the year on the Business Dinner Circuit - the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Dinner in Leicester. It’s an excellent chance to catch up with so many business leaders from across the region
How can MPs and Lords and community - sports organisations work more closely together? That was the question at the RT I attended on behalf of the SFDC and organised by the Labour Society for Sport.
