The Healthy and Innovative Loughborough project will work with the local community, businesses and Charnwood Borough Council to assess the wellbeing and resilience of the town.

The University's research team are running a series of focus groups, surveys and discussions and are keen to speak to adults who live or work in Loughborough to understand how they find travelling around the town, how they use parks and open spaces, and how easy or difficult it is to keep healthy and active.

They also want to hear about any changes the town has undergone since the beginning of the pandemic, current challenges and ideas or suggestions on ways to make improvements.

Drop-in sessions will be held on Tuesday afternoons at the Careers & Enterprise Hub from 2pm – 4pm in Loughborough town centre, and on Thursday and Saturday mornings at John Storer House at 10am – 12pm, between now and May 2024. These sessions are an opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions, and find out how to get involved.

The project is funded by a £2.46 million grant from Loughborough Town Deal, which has received £16.9 million from the Government's Towns Fund.

This latest phase aims to identify changes that could support residents in leading healthier and more active lives. It will also help to inform proposals to alleviate traffic congestion and make it easier, safer and more accessible for people to walk and cycle around the town. A separate strand will focus on collecting and providing open data about the town, aiding people in understanding and making decisions based on visual information.

John Weightman, Partnership Development Manager for Healthy and Innovative Loughborough, said: “By addressing community-specific challenges, we can ensure Loughborough is better prepared to face future health crises and help plan for future developments and improvements.

The voices of the community are vital in shaping this work, and I would encourage local people to sign up to take part in these discussions and have their say on the issues that impact them.” 

Feedback from the local community will play a pivotal role in shaping the second phase of the project, which involves working in partnership with residents to design and deliver a range of accessible initiatives that address their needs and break down barriers to engaging with physical activity. The project team will be looking to recruit a team of community champions to support this work.

Loughborough Town Deal is backing 11 projects which are boosting skills, helping regenerate the town and supporting the visitor economy. The projects are worth over £40 million of total investment into Loughborough.

If you are interested in taking part and would like additional information, please complete the online form or email hilp@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk. More information can also be found on the Healthy and Innovative Loughborough webpages.

For more information on Loughborough Town Deal, visit www.loughboroughtowndeal.co.uk