In a year that felt like nobody knew anything for sure anymore and public health numbers dictated our lives, we’ve depended on data and insight like never before.
I can’t be the only one who’s scrutinised the daily coronavirus (Covid-19) case rates to second guess what might happen next – feeling reassured when the ‘seven-day average’ line points down, alarmed when it shoots up.
At a national level, data, evidence and insight has played a critical role in helping us make sense of things, directing decision-making and guiding investment.
At Sport England, we’ve had to rapidly respond to a sector in urgent need of support. Together with our stakeholders, we’ve had to keep the nation active when much of what we knew about sport and physical activity no longer applied.
What would happen when some of the nation’s major activities, such as swimming, football and elements of fitness weren’t possible at times? How would the nation’s behaviour change and who’d find it hardest to adapt? Who needed the most support? Where did they need it? And what did they need?
We needed answers. We needed data and insight!
In the last nine months we’ve commissioned several pieces of research (1), consulted with the sector and reviewed secondary sources from our partners and beyond. We’ve applied behavioural theory to explore how people might behave in these unprecedented circumstances and to inform our approach (and that of our partners) to addressing their needs.