Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
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Carnegie School of Sport awarded Community Partner Award from Leeds United Foundation
Leeds Beckett University’s Carnegie School of Sport has been awarded the Community Partner Award at the 2026 Leeds United Foundation Supporting Our City Awards, recognising a long-standing partnership with the foundation, delivering positive impact across Leeds.
The award celebrates the contribution of Carnegie School of Sport to the foundation’s community programmes, women’s football academy and wider work supporting children and young people.
Senior Lecturer, Dr Dan Bates works with the foundation on programmes including Unlocking Potential and Active Through Football. The collaboration helps the partners understand how initiatives are meeting their objectives, assess their impact and identify what is working.
Dr Bates said: “As academics and as researchers we have access to a whole range of current research and insights about what works and why in physical activity interventions and in promoting sport. But it's the foundation who are delivering it. It's the foundation who have the relationships and the contacts on the ground who are making the work happen.
So for us, it's a fantastic opportunity to be able to share that knowledge that we have, but also adapt it and make it work in the context of the Leeds United Foundation's work as well.”
The collaboration also provides valuable opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-world settings. By engaging with live projects and the people delivering them, students gain practical experience and insights that can support their future careers.
Max Whitehead, a BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Studies in Football student, has been working with the foundation as part of his studies.
He said: “From a student perspective I think it's massive that we continue this partnership just because of the support and the opportunities that come with it. I wouldn't have had that opportunity to apply into real world environments. For example, the Unlocking Potential program. I feel like I'm so much more employable.”
Carnegie School of Sport also supports the Leeds United Women’s Academy, providing access to university facilities and wider support to help young players develop both on and off the pitch.
The partnership is mutually beneficial, with the foundation’s practical experience and local knowledge helping to inform research and teaching at Leeds Beckett. Real-world examples and resources from the programmes bring academic theory to life for students, connecting their studies with the challenges and opportunities facing communities across Leeds.
The Leeds United Foundation recognised the team’s contribution across a range of activities, including supporting its programmes, providing access to facilities and sharing research, data and insight to help inform its work.
The award celebrates the shared commitment of Leeds Beckett University and Leeds United Foundation to creating opportunities through sport and making a positive difference in the city.
Watch how our partnership with Leeds United Foundation is creating opportunities for students and making a difference across Leeds.
Senior Lecturer, Dr Dan Bates works with the foundation on programmes including Unlocking Potential and Active Through Football. The collaboration helps the partners understand how initiatives are meeting their objectives, assess their impact and identify what is working.
Dr Bates said: “As academics and as researchers we have access to a whole range of current research and insights about what works and why in physical activity interventions and in promoting sport. But it's the foundation who are delivering it. It's the foundation who have the relationships and the contacts on the ground who are making the work happen.
So for us, it's a fantastic opportunity to be able to share that knowledge that we have, but also adapt it and make it work in the context of the Leeds United Foundation's work as well.”
The collaboration also provides valuable opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-world settings. By engaging with live projects and the people delivering them, students gain practical experience and insights that can support their future careers.
Max Whitehead, a BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Studies in Football student, has been working with the foundation as part of his studies.
He said: “From a student perspective I think it's massive that we continue this partnership just because of the support and the opportunities that come with it. I wouldn't have had that opportunity to apply into real world environments. For example, the Unlocking Potential program. I feel like I'm so much more employable.”
Carnegie School of Sport also supports the Leeds United Women’s Academy, providing access to university facilities and wider support to help young players develop both on and off the pitch.
The partnership is mutually beneficial, with the foundation’s practical experience and local knowledge helping to inform research and teaching at Leeds Beckett. Real-world examples and resources from the programmes bring academic theory to life for students, connecting their studies with the challenges and opportunities facing communities across Leeds.
The Leeds United Foundation recognised the team’s contribution across a range of activities, including supporting its programmes, providing access to facilities and sharing research, data and insight to help inform its work.
The award celebrates the shared commitment of Leeds Beckett University and Leeds United Foundation to creating opportunities through sport and making a positive difference in the city.
Watch how our partnership with Leeds United Foundation is creating opportunities for students and making a difference across Leeds.
In this article
Dr Dan Bates
Senior Lecturer / Carnegie School of Sport
Dan is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Development with a research and teaching focus in sport for development and evaluation methodology.
