The future of sport: Taking part fuels sport sector

YORKSHIRE businesses are set to benefit from a rise in sport participation on the back of the Olympics.

While the plethora of professional sports clubs command attention the real business of sport in the region is generated by people taking part.

Sport is thought to be worth £1.2bn to the region annually with the sector employing around 47,000 people.

“Spectator sport, and Yorkshire has some important institutions, actually contributes quite a small part of the overall £1.2bn,” says Dr Chris Gratton, professor of sport economics and co-director of the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.

“A successful Olympics – and it already looks like it will be – will inspire much more participation I’m sure.”

The contribution of sport to the Yorkshire economy is considered in more detail in a new free supplement published by TheBusinessDesk.com in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University and FrontRow Legal.

Clive Lawrence, from FrontRow Legal, believes sport benefits the regional economy in a number of ways from raising Yorkshire’s profile to attracting visitors.

“In an era where we are seeing investment and decision-making becoming more centralised in London, sport can address this by bringing funding to the regions.

“We’ve seen evidence of this in Sheffield in the way the city has built on the investment it received to host the World Student Games in 1991. It gave the city an infrastructure, which has been built on.”

Click here to download the supplement in full.