The doors to what is reportedly the UK’s first carbon-neutral built community arena with a multi-purpose sports facility and integrated Medical Diagnostic Centre have opened this week in Sheffield.
The construction of the new Canon Medical Arena has been carbon offset with support from CO2Balance and the delivery of wind turbines in India, in turn creating carbon credits. Located on Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Canon Medical Arena, formerly known as ‘Park Community Arena’, was built in collaboration with PCA Ltd (PCA), Sheffield Sharks, and The LivingCare Group. Situated within the new 5000 m² arena, the Medical Diagnostic Centre is set to bring better healthcare to the local community with closer-to-home appointments, as well as serving the wider South Yorkshire region, improving access to health screening and disease prevention to those that need it most. Operated by The LivingCare Group, the Centre features advanced Canon Medical imaging systems, including AI-assisted CT and MRI scanners, ultrasound and digital X-ray, fluoroscopy, plus consulting rooms and a minor surgery operating theatre. Sheffield is a city that faces considerable challenges on outcomes such as life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, educational attainment, unemployment, and housing. Currently the difference in life expectancy between the best and worst off in Sheffield is 20 years, or 25 years for women, and it is estimated that 20% of deaths per annum in the city could be prevented by removing the direct cause factors of obesity, physical inactivity, and environmental pollution. Canon Medical says that ‘the unique combination of the Medical Diagnostic Centre and a community sporting and events arena, operated by PCA, not only improves healthcare availability to address these inequalities, but also expands community access to affordable sports, education and wellbeing facilities to help people lead healthier lifestyles, and increase physical activity. The arena is the new permanent home for professional basketball teams, Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Hatters, with three basketball courts and seating up to 2,500. The arena includes studio space and a classroom and will house the RESPECT programme, which aims to enrich the lives of young people by providing better access to sports, health education, and physical activity. Canon Medical says the initiative also aligns with national health strategies to create ‘one-stop-shops’ for healthcare checks, scans, and tests away from hospitals to help provide additional capacity for imaging procedures and relieve waiting list backlogs. Helen White, MD of The LivingCare Group, said: “We are looking forward to providing an agile and flexible approach to meet the changing requirements of the NHS in Sheffield, and are delighted to be using leading-edge Canon Medical diagnostic imaging systems to achieve this. Our aim is to provide outstanding diagnostic healthcare to our patients, whilst also creating jobs and supporting the training of healthcare workforces of the future. The Canon Pictured, left to right, are: Helen White, MD, LivingCare; Chris Low, CEO, Sheffield Legacy Park; Stephen Feldman, Medical director and sports physician, LivingCare; Richard Caborn, Chair of Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Sheffield Legacy Park; Atiba Lyons, head coach and director, Sharks Basketball; Sarah Backovic, MD, Sharks Basketball; Mark Hitchman, MD, CMSUK; John Timms, director of PCA Ltd and MLS Contracts; Maiko Davison, Operations and Marketing director, CMSUK; Ian Watson, director of Commercial Solutions, CMSUK, and Yuri Matischen, MD, MLS Contracts, Chairman, Sharks Basketball, and director, PCA.
