Learning from Legacy: Using the Spirit of 2012 Knowledge Bank to Strengthen Sport Event Design and Impact

This PhD examines how the Spirit of 2012 Knowledge Bank can be operationalised as a dynamic tool for knowledge exchange across the UK and international sport event ecosystem. Despite significant public investment in sport and cultural events, the systems for capturing, sharing, and applying evidence of social impact remain fragmented. As a result, valuable learning is underutilised in future event planning, design, and evaluation.

The Spirit of 2012 Knowledge Bank recently transferred to Loughborough University, provides a unique opportunity to address this gap. Comprising over 400 artefacts from more than 200 funded programmes (representing £47 million of investment between 2013 and 2025), the Bank offers a rich but under exploited repository of evaluation reports, case studies, and learning resources. This project will explore how such evidence can be mobilised more effectively to inform decision making, policy, and practice.

Research aims and objectives, the project is guided by the overarching aim of establishing a triangulation principle for the effective use of existing evidence within the Spirit of 2012 Knowledge Bank. This principle refers to the systematic integration of evaluation evidence, grey literature, and stakeholder insight to support research informed decision making across the event lifecycle. To achieve this aim, the PhD will pursue three interrelated objectives: Research design, the project is structured across three interconnected phases, and the successful applicant will be supported to shape and refine the methodological approach within this framework.

In Phase One, they could undertake a realist-informed scoping review of the Spirit of 2012 Knowledge Bank to identify how existing evidence contributes to social outcomes such as cohesion and wellbeing; in Phase Two, they could employ participatory action research to engage approximately 30 stakeholders from across the UK event ecosystem in co-design workshops to explore barriers and opportunities for embedding evidence in decision-making; and in Phase Three, they could develop and test a pilot triangulation framework, potentially incorporating digital innovations or peer learning networks within live event planning contexts through established partner networks. Partnership and networks, working in collaboration with strategic partners, including UK Sport, the project will develop and test practical tools for evidence mobilisation. It directly addresses a critical gap in the sport events sector: the lack of accessible, usable, and actionable knowledge to inform social impact planning.

The outputs will include a transferable model for evidence use across the event lifecycle, with relevance for policymakers, funders, and practitioners in the UK and internationally. The project is embedded within Loughborough University’s internationally recognised research environment in sport, social impact, and policy. The transfer of the Spirit of 2012 Knowledge Bank to the University in 20