Making an ‘Olympic’ effort in order to make a difference

What a summer of sport it has been. First, we had the Euros, then it was Wimbledon, then we had the Olympic Games.

I’ve loved the Olympics ever since I was a child. My first memory of the Games was watching Daley Thompson run, jump and throw his way to decathlon gold in Moscow back in 1980.

And like many children of the 1980s, I had the ‘Daley Thompson’s Decathlon’ computer game for my Commodore 64.

I recently watched a documentary about Daley in which he said he never received a penny in royalties from the sale of the game.

Those who benefited most were the owners of computer equipment shops, as those who played the game would regularly have to replace broken joysticks and keyboards!

Daley’s gold in Moscow was one of five won by Great Britain in its overall total of 21 medals.

Then roll forward 44 years to Paris 24 where Team GB won an incredible 65 medals, including 14 golds.

Of course, there are a lot more sports in the Olympics these days – and it is all the better for it, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed watching some of those which could be considered minor sports, such as rock climbing and skateboarding.

Out of the 65 medals won by Team GB in Paris, eight of those were in track cycling.

And I was delighted to be able to report the role Derby Arena’s velodrome had played in the success of those athletes.

Of course, the bikes Team GB use are state-of-the-art.

They are in stark contrast to the one used by John Robson, from one of our Bondholders, Morrison Design, to complete a charity challenge in August in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society.

It saw him do his 15-mile commute to work on a vintage Raleigh Chopper, which he had restored himself.

As a child of the 1980s, I was particularly drawn to this story.

Like Daley’s decathlon game, I have fond memories of owning a Chopper – but not so fond memories of injuring myself on the gear lever (if you know, you know!)

Of course, rowing is an Olympic sport – and one which Great Britain is pretty good at.

But our rowing stars have it pretty easy compared to what Vic Handley is set to take on.

While they compete on a still stretch of open water, this December, Vic will be battling huge waves as he rows across the Atlantic Ocean for four worthy charities.

He has been training hard for this epic challenge – and our Bondholders have been showing their support.

The latest business to back him as a headline partner is Smith Partnership.

Also coming ‘on board’ to support Vic is Essential Print Services.

Now, it may not be on a par with winning a gold medal at the Olympics but securing a Marketing Derby Food and Drink Award means a great deal to those operating in our hospitality sector.

After receiving more than 4,000 nominations, in August we revealed the shortlist of finalists.

Many congratulations to those who made the shortlist. We look forward to celebrating with you in October at the awards ceremony.

Now if Rolls-Royce was an Olympian, it would probably be the equivalent of cyclist Sir Jason Kenny (Britain’s most decorated Olympian).

It has been quite a year so far for our biggest private sector employer.

After announcing a string of new deals at the Farnborough Air Show in August, the firm followed this up with the news of a major order with Cathay Pacific.

In the same month, the engineering giant also revealed it had doubled profits during the first six months of the year.

And after the ‘Olympic’ efforts of the city to save train manufacturing in Derby (again!), it was good to see Alstom’s Litchurch Lane site continue to win new work.

In August, the firm announced it had signed a £60 million contract to transform hundreds of existing trains operated by CrossCountry.

Of course, while we here at Marketing Derby like to celebrate the city’s successes, we are also keen to support those who are trying to make a difference.

Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance is one such organisation, helping those who are struggling with food poverty.

In August, the charity made an urgent plea for more donations.

Due to a combination of factors, including rising food costs and an increase in the number of people turning to its services, DF4TA said it was running out of food.

We ran their appeal as a lead story – and I’m happy to say a number of Bondholders responded with offers of support.

Watching the Olympics this summer, it occurred to me that one of the key strengths of Team GB was their spirit of togetherness.

I guess the same could be said of ‘Team Derby’.

Of course, much of Team GB’s recent success is not just down to the talent of the athletes themselves, but also the way they are funded.

National Lottery cash is enabling our athletes to spend more time training for events like the Olympics – and with better equipment.

The moral here is if investment is put in the right place, then the results will come.

The same could be said of cities. Make the right investments and an area will improve.

Those who have visited Derby City Lab will know that is exactly what is happening in Derby right now.

The lab is there to engage and inform the public about the city’s future – but it also exists to obtain their feedback.

Visitors are encouraged to share their ‘dreams for Derby’ – and to date, hundreds have done so.

The Olympic Games may be over for another four years – but Derby’s ‘olympic’ year is about to begin in 2025.

And if that’s got you intrigued, then I suggest you walk. run, cycle (but probably not row) your way to the lab to find out for yourself!

Anyway, have a safe and productive September and I look forward to catching up again with you soon.