Open data: twice as easy to order a takeaway than to book sport or fitness sessions
– 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 ukactiveSport England targets increased activity levels through local pilot schemes
Sport England: record number of adults now physically active
'Industry first' as Legend plans to make its data available as part of Open Data Initiative
GLL publishes open data to boost physical activity participation
FEATURE: ukactive – Shared goals
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
