The Spark

The Spark is Sheffield Children’s world-class facility on the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park in Attercliffe, Sheffield.  

At The Spark we bring clinical care and child health technology development together under one roof to help create a healthier future for children and young people. 

It is the location for some Sheffield Children’s outpatient appointments and is the home of the National Centre for Child Health Technology. 

Address and opening hours 

The Spark 
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park  
1 Old Hall Road  
Sheffield  
S9 3TU 

Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) 
8am to 6pm 

Healthcare appointments  

The Spark is home to our Yellow and Purple Outpatient departments which are on the 1st and 2nd floors at The Spark.  

Your appointment experience will include: 

• height and weight measurements 
• blood tests, if needed 
• play team support  
• accessibility support 

Paper prescriptions will be issued at The Spark for you to take to your nearest convenient pharmacy. 

Travelling to The Spark  

The Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park – where The Spark is based – has car parking spaces and is well connected with public transport options including regular trams, buses and cycling routes. 

If you are eligible for reimbursed travel or parking expenses for your appointment, please visit the main reception desk at The Spark when you arrive. 

By bus  

By tram

The local tram route is the yellow route. The nearest tram stop is Arena/Olympic Legacy Park (7 minute walk).  

By car  

The Spark is a 10 minute drive from junction 34 of the M1 and a 15 minute drive from Sheffield city centre. Use S9 3TY for map directions. 

Car parking spaces

From Attercliffe Common, turn onto Worksop Road, and then drive to the end of Leeds Road for the correct car park.  

Spaces are limited and available on first-come first-served basis. There are a mix of disabled and standard parking bays. Disabled car parking bays can be used for any length of time with blue badges displayed. Standard car parking bays can be used if suitable and no disabled bays are available.  

Alternative parking options are available in front of the Canon Medical Centre, on-street parking, or at the Meadowhall and Ikea Park and Rides where you can park and then travel on the yellow tram. 

Car parking payment  

Monday to Friday (8am to 6pm) 

• Up to 30 minutes – free  
• Up to 2 hours – £1 
• Up to 4 hours – £2 
• Up to 8 hours – £3 
• Up to 10 hours – £4 

You can pay by scanning the QR code displayed in the car park and paying on your phone, or by using a card at the machine in the car park. Cash payments are not possible. 

By bicycle 

Follow the National Cycle Network routes 6 or 67. There are cycle loops for you to park your bike at the entrance of the building. 

By train

The nearest train stations are Meadowhall (2.6 miles) and Sheffield Centre (2.6 miles).  

Accessibility  

The Spark has: 

• a Changing Places space and toilet 
• baby changing and feeding room facilities
• a quiet room in each Outpatient department for children and families to use  
• lifts
• a quieter back staircase for anyone who needs a calmer environment
• interpreters  

Interpreters can be booked for use in person, on the phone, or on a video call. This includes British Sign Language interpreters. Please request this when booking your appointment. If an interpreter has not been booked in advance, they can be arranged on the day so please do ask. 

National Centre for Child Health Technology 

Technology and innovation are essential to developing and delivering better care for children now and in the future.  

The National Centre for Child Health Technology brings together clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders in one place to develop health technology with and for children.  

We focus on developing health tech solutions like robotics, virtual reality and AI to tackle the biggest challenges young people face and accelerate ideas that can change lives and redefine what’s possible for children’s healthcare. 

We also develop technology to improve workflow so colleagues across Sheffield Children’s and the NHS can focus more time on what matters most. 

Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park 

The Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is a dynamic centre for learning and innovation, where people of all ages engage in sports, research, and collaboration.   

Beyond education, the Park plays a vital role in economic and social development, promoting better health outcomes for the local community while driving groundbreaking healthcare advancements on a global scale. 

The Park is home to: 

World-class research and innovation assets in health, wellbeing and sport

• National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Sheffield
• Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (Sheffield Hallam University)
• Advanced Food Innovation Centre (Sheffield Hallam University)
• Medical Diagnostic Centre (Canon Medical Systems and LivingCare)

Elite and professional standard sports facilities 

• English Institute of Sport Sheffield (home to several Team GB Olympic and Paralympic teams)
• Ice Sheffield
• Canon Medical Arena (home to Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Hatters basketball teams)
• Steel City Stadium (home to Sheffield Eagles rugby league and Barnsley Women’s football)

Education establishments

• Oasis Academy – an all-through school for 1,200 children (aged 2 to 16) from the local community
• University Technical College (UTC) – a specialist academy and sixth form for 600 students (aged 14 to 18) focused on computing, health sciences and social care, and sports science.