With £800k of National Lottery Funding, the Open Data Institute (ODI) and Sport England are moving to the next stage of OpenActive, a major open data project to tackle inactivity. The funding will enable the ODI to continue its work supporting the sport and physical activity sector to publish and use open data.
Over the next 18 months, the ODI will focus on making it easier for everyone in the sector to access and use existing open data assets, and create additional support resources. The ODI will also develop a long-term plan to govern open data assets – to capture the benefits of OpenActive to specific groups and the rationale for the long-term maintenance of the data infrastructure.
Sport England will work with its partners to identify practical ways to use the data infrastructure to directly improve user experience, especially for underrepresented groups in physical activity, including young people, the elderly, women, disabled people and people from ethnic minorities.
OpenActive will continue to support Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy, which recognises the need for high-quality open data, insights and learning in the sport and physical activity sector.
Louise Burke, ODI Managing Director, said:
“The Open Data Institute (ODI) is very pleased to continue delivering OpenActive, and provide a much-needed service for people looking to take part in physical activity and discover the vibrant range of opportunities available in their local areas. OpenActive demonstrates the importance of having open data infrastructure, and the vital role it can play in tackling inequalities, particularly in making physical activity available to underserved communities.”
Nick Pontefract, Sport England Chief Strategy Officer, said:
“Lack of access to high-quality open data in the sport and physical activity sector is a barrier to getting people active. Our goal is to ensure that everyone – regardless of your postcode, background or bank balance – has the opportunity to get active in their local area. The OpenActive investment will support us to achieve that goal.”
You can find out more about the announcement on Sport England's website.