From the left: Philip Bunt, UKAD Chief Operating Officer, Alex Owen, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Chief Financial Officer, Dame Katherine Grainger, UK Sport Chair and Andy Reed, LLEP Chair with guests at the official opening of SportPark Pavilion 4.

Dame Katherine Grainger officially opens £9m sustainable SportPark expansion on º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Science and Enterprise Park

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport and one of Britain’s most decorated female Olympians of all time and the first British woman to win medals at five successive Olympic Games, has officially opened SportPark Pavilion 4 on º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP).

On Thursday 26 October, more than 80 guests including senior representatives from across the sports sector, national and regional economic development partners, the University community, and project team gathered to celebrate the opening of the £9m expansion of SportPark.

SportPark Pavilion 4 is º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s first Passivhaus development which is widely regarded as the most challenging energy efficiency and comfort standards in the world. Designed by David Morley Architects, the original architects of SportPark which opened in 2010, and built by Henry Brothers Construction, it will soon receive an International Green Apple Award for Sustainable Development, Building and Construction and Carbon Reduction. There are only 5 Passivhaus Certified office buildings in the UK, and SportPark Pavilion 4 is a strong contender for a podium position in performance terms. 

Dame Katherine Grainger said: “SportPark’s vision was to inspire and connect people from different organisations, united by the same energy, passion and belief that through sport, we can do better, we can be better, and we can achieve extraordinary things. It’s wonderful to be part of that community at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, where chance introductions and conversations can produce exciting, unpredictable, and incredible results.

SportPark Pavilion 4 continues to build on this vision. It’s a stunning building. But what will make it really fly is the people who inhabit it, their creativity and collaboration. I’m very optimistic for what the future will bring.”

Relocating its headquarters from London to SportPark in 2021, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is SportPark Pavilion 4’s anchor tenant, occupying the entire third floor. Philip Bunt, UKAD’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are delighted with the results of the move. We chose º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ because it is the leading sports university in the country, with far more sports bodies based here than elsewhere. We wanted to get closer to them. And working in partnership with the University gives us the opportunity to influence how students understand sport integrity.”

Alex Owen, Chief Financial Officer of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ and executive lead for the development of LUSEP, said: “SportPark Pavilion 4 has been superb team effort which sets the benchmark for the sustainable development of the University campus.

SportPark’s expansion will further strengthen the vibrant ecosystem, enabling us to welcome even more sports organisations and businesses seeking to collaborate with LUSEP’s wider innovation community, the University’s world-leading sport-related research capabilities, facilities, performance base and living lab of athletes. 

And together, we can drive forward new research in the University’s strategic theme areas, sport, health and wellbeing, vibrant and inclusive communities and climate change and net zero.”

These partnerships allow us to drive innovation and change faster and with more impact, as well as creating new jobs, boosting the regional economy, and providing more opportunities for our students.”

Andy Reed OBE, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership chair said: “Funding support for SportPark Pavilion 4 has helped to deliver a superb building that is also highly sustainable – a key pillar of the regional economic growth strategy.
 
“The investment has created jobs and brought further leading sports organisations to base themselves here in º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, adding to its reputation for collaboration and innovation.”

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chair of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Town Deal Board, said: “º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is synonymous with elite sport and that’s why the Town Deal Board was keen to support this project.

“SportPark is an outstanding asset to have in the town and it brings many benefits to the local economy and communities. The Town Deal Board is already delivering for º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, and this is another outstanding project which has brought investment into the area.”

SportPark Pavilion 4 is delivered by the LLEP as part of the Getting Building Fund. Funds were designated for investment in local, shovel-ready infrastructure projects to stimulate jobs and support economic recovery across the country. The LLEP was allocated £20m, supporting the SportPark expansion with £6m.

Further funding has been provided through the University’s Healthy and Innovative º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ project which received £2.5m from the Government’s Towns Fund via º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Town Deal. The project aims to build on the town’s reputation for sporting excellence and harness that knowledge for the good of residents. The Town Deal is backing 11 projects worth over £40m of investment to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.

 

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: PR 23/164

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2023 QS World University Rankings – the seventh year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2024 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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