Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13740)           
UK only International

Open data: twice as easy to order a takeaway than to book sport or fitness sessions

By Tom Walker    30 Apr 2019
Sport England has given a further £1.5m to the Open Data Institute in order to help the sector embrace technology
This is a real tipping point moment
– Tim Hollingsworth

Sport England CEO Tim Hollingsworth has called on sport and physical activity providers to follow the lead of other sectors and open their data – in order to make it easier for people to get active.

The appeal follows a study by ComRes – commissioned by Sport England – which found that people find it "twice as easy" to order takeaway food online than to book a sports session or fitness class.

The survey, of 1,815 adults living in England, showed that while ordering a takeaway and booking a holiday, taxi, or concert ticket have been made easy, people find it hard to search for physical activities online.

Almost a quarter of adults find it easy to book a holiday online and a majority say the same for ordering a takeaway (68 per cent), while just 34 per cent say it's easy to book sport or fitness classes online.

"There is a significant prize to be won here if the sport and physical activity sector seizes the opportunity to embrace digital innovation and open up their data," Hollingsworth said.

"Our survey shows that at the moment there are too many barriers to entry. So, this is about giving the public the choice to find sport and physical activity in a way that meets the expectations they have in all other aspects of their lives.

"But it is also about creating the conditions for brilliant, creative start-ups and innovators across England to come up with big digital ideas and solutions that are as diverse as the needs of the public."

To support his call for the sector to innovate, Sport England is awarding a further £1.5m of National Lottery funding to the Open Data Institute (ODI).

The ODI, an independent, non-profit organisation founded in 2012 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt, offers training, research and strategic advice for organisations looking to explore the possibilities of data.

In November 2016 they launched OpenActive, which has now seen 27 organisations – including leisure centre operator GLL, British Cycling and Our Parks – publish their data, resulting in more than 170,000 physical activity sessions a month being made available online.

The £1.5m will help the ODI to continue their work in the sport and physical activity sector, which has seen OpenActive data used by 10 startups that we mentored and are working on innovative tech solutions to help people get active.

ukactive Acting CEO Huw Edwards said “We support the Government and Sport England’s ambitions to make sport and physical activity more accessible to all.

“It is crucial to recognise the physical activity sector’s integral role in the ODI, given the findings of the latest Active Lives Survey which showed that ukactive’s members are the backbone of an active nation.

“We are ready to work with government and Sport England on this agenda, uniting the sector in our mission to get more people more active, more often.

“This partnership with Government must also see it fully support our sector to flourish and fulfil its potential in every area of public life.”

Hollingsworth added: “This is a real tipping point moment.

"Now is the time for the whole sector to collaborate to reach millions more people, remove the barriers they face and supercharge the number of people getting active in England for the health of our nation.”

• To read an interview with Tim Hollingsworth, click here for the latest issue of Sports Management magazine.

Sport England  Tim Hollingsworth  Open Data Institute  ODI  ukactive 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news
Related features
Sports jobs

Recreation Assistant (Dry Site)

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Market Rasen

Party Leader

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Gainsborough

Cleaning Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive pay rates
Location: Gainsborough

Duty Manager

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Gainsborough

Duty Manager

The Pickaquoy Centre
Salary: £30,000pa + local Govt pension + attractive benefits package
Location: Kirkwall, UK

Team Leader (Harrow School Fitness Club)

Harrow School
Salary: £13.71 per hour
Location: Harrow on the Hill, Harrow, UK

Centre Manager (Leisure)

Exeter City Council
Salary: £40,221 - £42,403pa + pension + benefits
Location: Exeter, UK

Director of Operations

Active Luton
Salary: £61,000 - £64,000 + exceptional pension + excellent benefits
Location: Luton, UK

Fitness Motivator

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Lutterworth
recruiting with sports management

Recreation Assistant/Lifeguard (NPLQ required)

Everyone Active
Salary: 9.50 ph
Location: Lutterworth

Membership Manager

University of Warwick
Salary: £29,605 - £32,982pa + pension + benefits
Location: Coventry, UK

Recreation Assistant

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive salary
Location: Wigston

Swim Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Shipston-on-Stour

Swim Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive
Location: Shipston-on-Stour

Chief Executive Officer, Mount Batten Centre

Mount Batten Group
Salary: c£65,000pa + pension + benefits
Location: Plymouth, UK

Swimming Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive rates of pay
Location: Rickmansworth, UK
recruiting with sports management

Swimming Teacher

Everyone Active
Salary: Competitive rates of pay
Location: Watford, UK
Swimming Teacher jobs  duty manager jobs  Team Leader jobs  general manager jobs  recreation assistant jobs  Swim Manager jobs 
More jobs

Company profile

Company profile: Active IQ
The UK’s leading Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation for the physical activity sector, we offer over 100 accredited qualifications in a variety of disciplines from Entry-Level to Level 5.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Sibec EMEA to blend fitness with luxury at Fairmont Monte Carlo
Experience the pinnacle of fitness and luxury at the premier industry event, Sibec EMEA, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Fairmont Monte Carlo this Autumn.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
30 May - 02 Jun 2024
Rimini Exhibition Center, Rimini, Italy
More diary dates