At an event the size of Birmingham 2026, the reality can sometimes be that you get commercial partnerships on one side, and community impact partnerships on the other. But those two ways of organisations getting involved don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
As an Official Partner, SPAR dove headfirst into everything Birmingham 2026 and leapt at the chance to align with the impact plan Beyond.
Beyond has a focus on youth participation in sport and inspiring young people through athletics. A lot of this was delivered through schools’ outreach, free athletics days for local young people, and free school resources for primary and secondary school.
We know, however, that there’s real power in being inspired, and that many young people are inspired when they see and experience something first-hand. SPAR North of England, which is operated by James Hall & Co. Ltd, also understands this and has a focus on youth and long-term participation in athletics which they have been driving through dedicated school and athletics clubs’ partnerships.
SPAR North of England’s Go to the Games competition had athletics clubs nominating their unsung heroes and, through the initiative, three athletics clubs won free tickets to Tuesday morning’s athletics session which included highlights such as the men’s 100m heats.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Lancashire School Games, SPAR North of England also ran a logo design competition, and the winning young person was given free tickets for his school to also attend Tuesday’s morning session.
In total, more than 100 children were gifted free tickets via SPAR North of England’s initiatives, allowing more people to attend live sports and be inspired. Both initiatives were created to establish direct pathways for young people to get involved in track and field, using the excitement of Birmingham 2026 and accessible sporting opportunities and community wellbeing.
Beyond wasn’t only focussed on youth engagement, however, and A.F. Blakemore, SPAR partner for the Midlands, Wales, and South of England, was keen to highlight adults making a real difference in their communities too. They commissioned research into the connectedness of Britain, and the results showed that while people might feel like we’re growing more disconnected as a society, in reality there are everyday champions who are keeping Britain a lot more connected than it might initially look.
To celebrate the findings and to give some of those everyday champions a chance to shine, A.F. Blakemore joined with Olympian Colin Jackson to spotlight some of those stories. The research showed that community spirit is very much alive, with 64% of people saying they had helped a community member over the past year. There’s just not always an easy way to celebrate those acts of kindness.
Selected SPAR stores in the Midlands, Wales, and South of England ran a campaign inviting the public to nominate individuals whose kindness, generosity and commitment make life better for others every day in their communities.
The result was five winners were selected to attend Birmingham 2026 as VIP guests, where they were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, access to the VIP seating, and were greeted by Colin Jackson himself.
Speaking about the campaign, Colin Jackson said: "When people hear the word 'champion', they usually think of medals and podiums. But some of the greatest champions I've ever met have never competed in a stadium. They're the people who quietly look after neighbours, volunteer in their communities, coach local sports teams, support families through difficult times and simply make life better for the people around them. These everyday acts might seem small, but they can completely change someone's day, or even their life. That's why I'm proud to help SPAR celebrate the people who keep our communities strong.”
The campaign not only aligned with the Beyond impact plan but also marked 30 years of partnership between SPAR and European Athletics, celebrating the values that unite sporting and community champions – dedication, resilience, perseverance, and inspiring others.
Justine Albert, Sponsorship Manager for Birmingham 2026, said “We were extremely lucky with Birmingham 2026 that all our partners were so excited to get behind everything we wanted to do with the platform of the event. So many partners engaged fully with our impact plan, with our creative ideas for content, and with our wider event aims. Spar’s appetite for getting children and young people along to the athletics and their desire to celebrate local inspiring stories really aligned with our hopes for the Championships and added real value to our partnership!”
For more about the Beyond programme, click here.