A new project has been launched between Bishop Grossteteste University and Active Lincolnshire to produce a report to evaluate how the sector supports the Greater Lincolnshire economy, people and skills.
The research is being conducted by the Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre (LORIC) on behalf of the three Active Partnerships working across the greater Lincolnshire area. These are Active Lincolnshire, Active Humber (covering North and North East Lincolnshire) and Active Together (covering Rutland). Part of the research is also funded by Research England.
LORIC was established in 2017 to connect university researchers and data experts with businesses to help them use and understand data to understand their market and strengths and weaknesses to enable efficient decision making to stay at the forefront of innovation.
Through a combination of research methods LORIC will produce a report that creates a deep understanding of the Greater Lincolnshire’s sport, physical activity and leisure sector, which Active Lincolnshire will use to underpin the Let’s Move Lincolnshire strategy to ensure Lincolnshire is a place where everyone has the opportunity to be physically active every day.
The report will provide an evidence base for the economic value of the sector and how many people are supported through employment and volunteering, and well as highlighting the economic impact that sport, physical activity and the leisure sector contributes in Greater Lincolnshire. It will identify potential funding streams and investment avenues associated with employment the economic sector.
To ensure that Lincolnshire has a physical activity and sport workforce fit for the future needs of residents, the research will deliver an evidence base of the skills and knowledge gaps across the sector, identifying opportunities to provide training and development opportunities. This will lead to stakeholders better understanding skill demand and more effectively recruiting and retaining their paid and voluntary workforce.
The project launches in May and will run until the end of October.
Katya Bozukova, Project Manager at LORIC, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Active Lincolnshire on this project to create a clear understanding of the Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure Sector across Greater Lincolnshire.
“LORIC helps local organisations and businesses across Greater Lincolnshire understand the data relating to their services to allows them to make informed decisions, which in turn helps them remain competitive, innovative and prepared for the future.”
Lorna Leach, Director of Transformation at Active Lincolnshire said: “We believe that a skilled workforce who better understand the needs of residents and the power of physical activity are the cornerstone to providing the positive experiences for all residents to access and benefit from quality physical activity. Working with LORIC will provide the evidence base and platform to ensure that we can advocate for and create systems across Lincolnshire that support the growth and development of an agile, resilient, and relevant physical activity and sport workforce.”