Business Breakfast Kicks off the Black Country School Games

On Friday 27th June business leaders from across the Black Country were invited to the Black Country School Games Festival and celebratory business breakfast hosted by Ninder Johal, President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and Raj Joshi, Chair of the BeActive Partnership.

Business leaders were given the opportunity to find out more about how local businesses can capitalise on Sport England’s £1 billion supply chain. With the Black Country losing £312 million per year due to employee absence, businesses were also offered unique insight and free opportunities to improve workplace health which can directly improve productivity.

Sport is one of the enabling sectors of the Black Country Strategic Economic Plan.  The Black Country Consortium is committed to promoting the best environment for businesses to grow.  Sport England are investing £1 billion over the next 5 years into infrastructure, facilities and National Governing Bodies of Sport.

The Black Country BeActive Partnership is Sport England's local agency and is in a unique place to support Black Country businesses who wish to access this supply chain.

The Black Country is seeing an unprecedented level of invest into sport and physical activity.  For example, the newly built £11 million West Bromwich Leisure Centre sourced 75% of it's procurement from within 25 miles of the facility.  The Black Country Consortium is in an ideal position to help businesses to broker these relationships.

Employee sickness costs Black Country businesses £312 million per year, which equates to over 9 days sick per person per year.  Physically active employees are 20% less likely to have time off work through absence, and the physically active return to work 27% quicker.  Many of the 46 National Governing Bodies of Sport that work closely with the Black Country BeActive Partnership team offer programmes and activities that are specifically tailored for workplaces.  Many are free of charge or low cost and can have a dramatic impact on workplace health and productivity.

For further information on business or workplace health opportunities please email Simon Hall or James Connolly, or call James on 01384 471161.