Researcher at Anglia Ruskin awarded IOC grant
Published: 16 April 2019 at 12:00
Study will examine whether recent Olympics have left a positive legacy for young people
An Anglia Ruskin University project examining the entrepreneurial legacy of the Olympic Games in two cities, London and Rio de Janeiro, has received funding from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Entitled: ‘Fostering social entrepreneurship in deprived host city communities: Introducing the "Youth Social Entrepreneurship (YSE) legacy Framework’, the research will look at the impact of the recent Olympic Games in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) on the entrepreneurial journeys of young people in the poorest areas of both cities.
Social entrepreneurship is seen in enterprises set up to generate profits and to address local community or wider societal issues. Positive impacts from the Games were an intended legacy for poorer areas in both cities but reported results vary, with some claims that those in poorer areas are marginalised in the large infrastructure projects required to host the Games.
Professor Lynn Martin, leading the study, said:
“Do local people benefit from living in a Games City if they live in deprived areas through the wider contacts the Games bring to their communities?
“This is one of the questions the study will explore to try to help future Olympic cities to make the most of the opportunity the Olympics provide – especially in revitalising poorer areas where enterprise levels are lower.”
With applications from 56 researchers from 19 countries across five continents, the proposal underwent a rigorous selection process by the IOC. The research will be conducted together with Michael Duignan of Coventry University and colleagues in New York and Rio de Janeiro.