"Overwhelming evidence" on the value of sport and physical activity says ukactive CEO Huw Edwards

The evidence on the value of sport and physical activity is "overwhelming" ukactive CEO Huw Edwards has told Sport Tech Hub by London Sport's new podcast Talking Sport & Tech. 

The brand new podcast, released this week, gives listeners a glimpse into the lives of inspiring leaders and entrepreneurs from the sport and physical activity sector. 

In the first episode, Edwards spoke to Talking Sport & Tech co-hosts Alex Zurita and Milly Pelmore about his career being a marriage of sport and politics, and his role in pushing the government for support of the sport and physical activity sector.

He said: "There is overwhelming evidence on the value of sport and physical activity to the economic and social fabric of our society, and how much more it could do, than what it already does right now.

"The question is not around evidence, the question is around political will. We’ve seen political movement in 2012, no one believed that those facilities would be built in five years, and they were, do you know why? Because of political will.

"We’ll just keeping knocking on that door and making sure we’re really putting the biggest possible pressure on, for a sector that deserves a seat at the very top table. 

"As we all know, we work in this sector because we know how it can change millions of lives.”

Sport Tech Hub was established by London Sport with the purpose of accelerating the use of technology to help more people become active.

It supports founders to launch, grow and scale ventures that play a major role in solving the world’s physical inactivity crisis yet a recent ukactive Digital Futures report found 30% of gym and leisure operators do not have a digital strategy.

And speaking on Talking Sport & Tech, Huw explained how sports and fitness technology start-ups can work together.

He added: "[ukactive members and entrepreneurs] will find their home together as long as we (ukactive) can help facilitate the conversations, environment, and marketplace in which they can thrive."

Listen to the first episode of Talking Sport & Tech, featuring ukactive CEO Huw Edwards, on the London Sport website, Amazon Music, Apple and Spotify now.

Episode 2 of Talking Sport & Tech features Born Barikor, CEO and Founder of Our Parks, an organisation which provides free group exercise in parks and outdoor spaces, will be available on Wednesday 25 May.