WIREDGOV

Ten startups will spend the next six months developing new ways for people to get physically active.

Finding opportunities to play sport and get physically active will become easier thanks to a ground-breaking new programme that launched yesterday.

The OpenActive Accelerator, a revolutionary initiative run by us and the Open Data Institute (ODI), has selected 10 startups that will spend the next six months developing new services – including apps and websites – to help people discover events and clubs in their local area.

Currently much of the information about what, where and when activities take place is hidden away on old-fashioned websites, social media groups, PDFs or printed flyers.

The new services will use OpenActive data, published by sport and activity providers in the same standard format, to bring opportunities to users’ fingertips.

When travel operators unlocked their data several years ago, it transformed the experience for holidaymakers, and OpenActive aims to do the same for the sport and activity sector to help more people get active.

More than a quarter of the population in England are inactive, which means they do less than 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, and this can take a big toll on their health and quality of life.

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