Moving Communities, the data platform which tracks participation at public leisure centres, has teamed up with Saturday morning 5k run organiser, Parkrun.

This collaboration will see Parkrun’s data on event participation and community engagement across the UK become part of the Moving Communities dataset, offering a more comprehensive view of physical activity levels across the UK.

These insights will allow Sport England, Parkrun, and other partners to make more informed decisions, identify where support is needed most and help direct resources to areas facing the greatest barriers to participation.

“Parkrun’s accessibility has seen it carve out a unique position in communities across the UK, and this partnership provides Moving Communities with an exciting opportunity to use its data to gain valuable insights that can make a real difference in activity levels,” said Emma Bernstein, strategic projects lead at Sport England. “This will help us to better understand and address barriers to physical activity, ensuring everyone has fair access to opportunities that support a healthier lifestyle.”

Ana Sanchez, DEI Lead at Parkrun says: “Working with Moving Communities brings us closer to our mission of making the world happier and healthier. Understanding community needs through data allows us to create more opportunities for people to be active together, outdoors.”

The addition of Parkrun data to Moving Communities will bring a valuable and consistent dataset to the sample, which is varies each year, depending on responses, improving the consistency of the results.

Parkrun receives funding each year from Sport England in support of its programmes, as well as raising funds through its own activites.

HCM is doing a deep dive into the latest Moving Communities report in the upcoming issue in a profile with Jack Shakespeare, 4Global’s director of strategic projects. Sign up to ensure you receive your complimentary digital copy at www.HCMmag.com/signup.