Park Community Arena: First look at Sheffield Sharks' new home and medical diagnostics centre

Scheduled for completion in August 2023, the Park Community Arena, at Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park in Attercliffe, will be the new home to the Sheffield Sharks and a medical diagnostics centre developed by Canon Medical.

Canon Medical Systems, in collaboration with LivingCare, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, Sheffield City Council, PCA Ltd, and the BBraun Sheffield Sharks, have developed a ‘unique’ arena which will be the new home of the Sheffield Sharks basketball franchise.

The Park Community Arena will be the first of its kind in the region, with three full-size basketball courts, capacity to hold 2,500 spectators, and a Medical Diagnostics Centre by Canon Medical.

READ MORE: Plans revealed for major sports arena and medical diagnostic centre at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

The arena will be the UK’s first affordable carbon net-zero built sports, healthcare and community arena.

Along with the facilities to accomodate the team and healthcare, the arena also focuses on the community – not only bringing healthcare closer to the people with the new Medical Diagnostics Centre, but also with the PCA activity plan.

The activity plan looks to improve grassroots basketball and netball, host community programmes with the Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Hatters, create an elite basketball academy, create a multi-purpose area, Cafe Bistro and hospitality for the local community.

The plan will also see a selected 70 event days at the arena every year and NGB training camps with LivingCare and Medical suite, making use of the Medical Diagnostic Centre facilities.

Already 70 per cent of the 2023/24 activity plan is booked with clients over three to five years, showing an overwhelming demand for the arena and the activity plan.

Yuri Matischen, chairman of PCA Ltd and the Sheffield Sharks, said: “Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is already synonymous with encouraging physical wellbeing, is home to 2000 pupils and students and has great transport links making it the ideal location for the community arena.

"It will provide the new permanent home for the Sharks and Hatters, allowing basketball to transform and flourish, and be an accessible and inspirational home for other sports clubs from the area’s diverse communities.

“We are truly excited to be working with Canon Medical, LivingCare and all partners on Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park to extend the City’s sporting reputation and inspire young people to be physically active.”

In addition to the sports and multi-purpose aspect of the arena, Canon Medical Systems will implement a Medical Diagnostics Centre in the arena which will bring a close-to-the-community approach to healthcare and offer ‘one-stop-shop’ healthcare checks.

Canon Medical Systems offers a full range of diagnostic medical imaging solutions such as CT-scans, X-Ray and ultrasound, with a goal to deliver optimum health opportunities for patients through uncompromised performance, comfort and safety features.

Mark Hitchman, managing director of Canon Medical Systems, said: “The Medical Diagnostic Centre at the Park Community Arena will play a part in expanding healthcare capacity for local people where they can attend minor surgery appointments or have diagnostic scans and other tests as part of a health prevention and early detection programme.

"This close-to-the-community approach in a non-clinical environment will be better for people that may be anxious of hospitals or benefit from the excellent transportation links to the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.”