The Recipe for Growth: How Sport and Infrastructure Are Rising in the Midlands

There’s a moment in baking when the batter starts to rise, the oven’s warmth wraps around you, and the smell of something joyful fills the air. That’s exactly the feeling I sense across the Midlands right now.

As a parent who bakes birthday cakes with love, a professional in construction, and a lifelong lover of sport, I can’t help but see the parallels. With the right ingredients, a little care, and perfect timing, something ordinary becomes extraordinary. And that’s what’s happening here.

The Midlands’ Moment: Building More Than Stadiums

Just like a cake needs the right mix to rise, so does a region. And right now, the Midlands has all the right ingredients.

As someone working in construction, I’m genuinely excited about Birmingham’s new Sports Quarter, a project that makes a statement.

With a 60,000-seat stadium, high-performance training facilities, and welcoming community spaces, it will do far more than host matches. It will create places that inspire, connect, and lift people up in a world that often feels uncertain.

The numbers are impressive:

• 10,000 construction jobs
• 1,000 apprenticeships
• 8,000 permanent roles
• £450 million pumped into the local economy each year by 2035

But the real win is harder to measure—the pride, spirit, and shared moments it will spark across our region.

Sport as a Growth Engine

Sport in the Midlands isn’t just entertainment – it’s opportunity in motion.

Every match, tournament, or concert at the Sports Quarter will ripple far beyond the pitch. Hotels will fill, restaurants will buzz, and local businesses will thrive. And it won’t stop there – these venues will double as spaces for conferences, festivals, and cultural events, turning Birmingham into a 365-day destination.

But the real magic? People. Apprentices earning while they learn. Volunteers building confidence and networks. Young people discovering clear pathways into careers in sport, construction, hospitality, and tech. Stadiums become places where careers are built. Pitches become spaces where life skills are learned.

And let’s not forget the legacy of infrastructure. Metro extensions and transport upgrades built for events will keep connecting communities long after the final whistle. Regeneration will ripple into neighbourhoods, high streets, and green spaces. Build it for the Games, live with it for generations.

The Lionesses and the Power of Play

Just over a month ago, England’s Lionesses made history again – winning the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in a dramatic penalty shootout against Spain. It was a masterclass in resilience, teamwork, and belief.

Their back-to-back European titles are more than silverware; they’re a signal to every young boy and girl in the Midlands and beyond that greatness is within reach. Joy, fun, and fierce ambition can all belong in the same sentence.

And yes, of course we celebrated with cake. Because what better way to mark a win than with something sweet, shared, and symbolic? Like baking, their victory was built on the right recipe: preparation, passion, and just the right pinch of pressure. When it came together, it rose beautifully.

Keeping the Recipe Alive: From Commonwealth to Invictus

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was a celebration of inclusivity, resilience, and regional pride. With millions engaged, thousands of jobs created, and a legacy programme that spanned culture, sport, and community, the Games proved that sport can be a catalyst for transformation.

Now, with the Invictus Games coming to Birmingham in 2027, we have another chance to build on that legacy. These Games will showcase the courage and resilience of personnel and veterans from around the world, a competition about healing, hope, and unity.

If we stick to the same recipe – community-first, joy-filled, and purpose-driven – we’ll continue to build a Midlands is growing and thriving in the years to come.

Baking, Belonging, and the Joy of Shared Moments

Being a full-time working mum of two is its own sport. Between meetings, deadlines, and site visits, I’ve learned to juggle like a midfield maestro. But there’s one tradition I never break: baking each of my children’s birthday cakes.

No store-bought shortcuts. No “maybe next year.” Even if it means whisking buttercream at midnight or googling how to rescue a collapsed sponge between school runs.

It’s messy, chaotic, and sometimes a gamble. But it matters. Because the best things in life are made with care, shared with others, and remembered long after the candles are blown out.

That same spirit is what sport gives our communities – from five-a-side matches after work, to grassroots coaches giving up their weekends, to the roar of the crowd when the ball hits the back of the net. It’s fun, but it’s also the glue.

A Midlands Recipe for Success

So, what’s our recipe for regional growth?

• 1 part infrastructure – like the Sports Quarter and Metro extensions
• 1 part inspiration – like the Lionesses proving what’s possible
• 1 part inclusion – so everyone, from apprentices to athletes, has a seat at the table
• A generous helping of joy – because fun isn’t frivolous; it’s fuel
• And a dash of legacy – because we’ve seen this recipe work before at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Let’s not underestimate the power of play. Let’s bake it into our plans, our policies, and our places. Because when we invest in joy, we invest in people. And when people thrive, the Midlands does too.

Final Thought

Infrastructure is the skeleton, but sport, fun, and community are the heartbeat.

The foundations are set, the framework is ready – so it’s time to say: Ready, Steady, Build!

This is a personal blog post.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusion or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Centre for the New Midlands or any of our associated organisations/individuals.

ABOUT OUR AUTHOR:

Raynee De Zoysa is a work winning and business development professional with a dedicated focus on advancing sustainability, modern methods of construction (MMC), and digital solutions. Her commitment to pushing the boundaries is exemplified by her efforts to forge cross-sector partnerships and identify opportunities that underscore the vital importance of creating enriched spaces for local communities.

With her career origins as a site civil engineer, Raynee’s journey began with notable contributions, including her work on the London Olympics 2012. Over time, she has held pivotal roles in delivery and pre-construction across diverse sectors such as infrastructure, water, residential, and education, amassing a comprehensive skillset and a wealth of construction experience.

A chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Building, Raynee has demonstrated her commitment to excellence through her extensive involvement in major construction projects within the building sector. Leveraging the valuable insights acquired through her varied roles in the built environment, Raynee is dedicated to promoting STEM, sustainability, and the art of placemaking. Her passion extends to mentoring aspiring professionals, helping them uncover their unique talents and skills.

Raynee strongly advocates for the cross-pollination of ideas, embracing failures as learning opportunities, and the resilience to iterate and try again. Her involvement with the Nottingham University Career Advisory Committee showcases her dedication to shaping the educational landscape, facilitating seamless collaboration between academia and industry to foster innovation.

Furthermore, her active role as Chair of Governors for Fordbridge Community Primary School and as a Board Trustee for Prosper Together Multi Academy Trust (MAT) in Solihull stands as a testament to her deep commitment to community-level impact.

Raynee’s heart lies with her local West Midlands community, where she passionately contributes to the creation of educational spaces that empower children to flourish and become the best versions of themselves. Above all, her roots in the West Midlands are a testament to her unwavering commitment to the region, as she remains a true “brummie” at heart.