SUMMER | FEATURE
Major challenges
Access caught up with the Invictus
Games at the MEI Summit
M
ajor Events International (MEI)
hosted its fifth annual Major Events
Summit bringing together influential
stakeholders from past, current and future Games
and host organisations and key commercial
suppliers. Billed as a ‘non-conference’, the two-day
event consisted of workshops, panels and round
table discussions. The Awards Dinner recognises
the success of members in an informal environment.
GL events’ business development director Caroline
Sheppard told Access: “This was my second year of
attending this event. It’s always good to hear what
is happening on the International events front and
receive updates from various teams, especially
the CWG/ Birmingham 2022 team. It was also
interesting to learn about the impact of Esports
and how they can make traditional sports more
accessible, in particular the likes of F1.”
Deputy director UK Invictus Games
Delegation at UK Ministry of Defence
Fred Hargreaves OBE talks local
expansion with Access
What prompted expanding into
more localised events?
I’ve been doing Invictus for three
years, but military and disabled
sport for 12 years, so I have the
disabled sport in my DNA. Demand
has gone up and up from people
who want to go on the Invictus
journey, whereas opportunities
to be in a global team have gone
down. Sheffield will host the
first national games for British
wounded, injured and sick
veterans and personnel, with the
Invictus Team UK Trials Sheffield,
22-26 July 2019.
Over five days, 470+ competitors,
will take part in up to nine
sports. We wanted to offer more
British service men and women
to experience the games. It’s
about families, mental health,
rehabilitation, employment. We
introduced an arts component too.
Is Prince Harry involved?
He is focused on the Global Games,
and has to be, but he has been to all
our Trial events each year. Because
it’s MoD focused we have a great
relationship with the Palaces. He’s
invited and we’ll know in a few
weeks if he’s able to come along.
Is the Invictus model exportable?
The concept certainly is. Canada
is doing a similar thing in 2021,
and America runs Warrior Games
where Invictus came from. I’ve
designed a model, a briefing
pack for other nations saying
‘this is what the UK does, this is
how much it will cost, etc’. Each
nation will approach it differently.
Germany for example get all
activity paid for governmentally.
You must have been delighted
when Invictus took off?
Yes, I was there with Prince
Harry in 2013 at the Warrior
Games where the idea was
spawned, so I have a history.
Did it look like it was going to
happen at that point?
[Laughs] No, no. But having just
seen London 2012, we knew that
the Paralympics had changed
society’s perception of disability
from one of sympathy to one of
understanding and admiration.
Harry steered the conversation
more towards mental health. If it’s
ok for brave veterans to talk about
their mental health challenges,
it’s ok for police, firefighters, and
people in society.
Can you measure altruistic
impact?
Yes. In fact, I was writing a
report on this. The effects on
athletes, friends, family, sponsors,
charities, communities, schools. It’s
all metrifiable, but you have to set
the metrics before the event.
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