The eagerly anticipated UK Corporate Games is being hailed as a resounding success with more than 5000 entrants, coordinators and helpers involved. It is estimated that more than £3.8 million of economic impact poured into local economy as the result of the Games.
Europe’s largest annual multisport festival for business was staged at a host of impressive venues, like Colwick Park, Wollaton Hall, The Nottinghamshire Golf and Country Club and the University of Nottingham’s impressive indoor and outdoor facilities.
Organisations, companies, corporations and institutions all battled it out for points, medals and company pride. The winners came from all across the country and local teams also won a number of the prestigious medals. Vodafone won the Sport for Life Grand Award and the Medallist Award but Nottinghamshire Police were the top local performers finishing second in the overall medal table with an impressive 48 medals.
Inspector Paul Harris said: “I cannot describe how impressed we all were with the Games this weekend. My whole organisation is buzzing, and I’m seeing competitors and medallists alike acknowledging each other and ‘high fiving’ on corridors where previously they would have passed in silence…, so I’m not overstating the positive effect this event has had. Sports sections have been reinvigorated, friendships and bonds have been rediscovered, and I’ve even seen pictures of medallists up in the office to welcome them back. This is down to the Games Teams hard work, patience and dedication and as Notts Police captain I’d like to add my thanks on behalf of my colleagues”.
Freeths finished 6th in the medal table and the University of Nottingham and MWUK finished 14th and 16th respectively. A team from Nottingham Forest won the 11-a-side football and Boots also secured medals in a number of sports to finish 21st in the medal table from 123 organisations that were represented.
The University of Nottingham’s multisport complex was the epicentre of the Games providing many of the facilities for the 23 sports. This includes their new £40m David Ross Sports Village. The Centre houses a huge multi-court sports hall, seven glass squash courts and an international standard Table Tennis hall in addition to impressive accommodation in the surrounding area. The Great Games Party was also a massive success at the Nottingham Trent Students Union with revellers reluctant to go home at the end even when the lights came on and the music stopped!
The Games Sport Patron Helen Richardson Walsh MBE proudly presented many medals to the successful organisations over the weekend as well as cutting the ribbon to open the SuperCentre celebration for the Games.
Ben Sedgemore, Games Director for the UK Corporate Games said: “The Games has been a resounding success and we could not have asked for more. Even the weather was on our side! The facilities are excellent in Nottinghamshire, with top quality venues for all of our 23 sports and array of celebrations. The feedback that we have been receiving has been wonderful and it is a credit to everyone who has supported the Games. People have been blown away by Nottingham and we are delighted that we made the decision to bring the Games here in 2017. Thank you so much!”
Andrew May, General Manager at Nottingham Conferences, another of the Games partners said: “This was a great opportunity to bring the city together to put Nottingham on the map, to benefit local businesses and for us to showcase our £40m David Ross Sports Village, the latest addition to an already stellar collection of state-of-the-art sporting facilities available here at the university. The atmosphere on Campus was outstanding and this event will live long in the memory”
The Games will now move on to another destination for 2018 but if you want a glimpse of what it looked like in Nottingham, please click here.
Posted on 14 July 2017
