Digital Futures has become the sector’s leading digital maturity initiative / Shutterstock / PeopleImages

UK Active has today (11 June) announced the next phase of its Digital Futures programme, supporting organisations across the physical activity sector to develop their digital capability.

Delivered by UK Active in partnership with Sport England, and supported by strategic partners Gladstone, EGYM, Xn Leisure and PerfectGym, Digital Futures has become the sector’s leading digital maturity initiative since its launch in 2021.

More than 335 fitness and leisure operators, National Governing Bodies, Active Partnerships and sector organisations have taken part to date, using the programme to better understand their digital capability, identify areas for improvement and receive recommendations to support planning and investment. UK Active has now enhanced the programme to provide a clearer and more practical consultation experience, alongside the introduction of a new AI-supported assistant to help organisations interpret their results and understand what steps they can take next.

The AI-supported assistant has been developed to explore how personalised digital guidance can support decision-making in practice, helping organisations strengthen their digital capability with clearer, more tailored recommendations. Whether an organisation is building its digital foundations or refining an established strategy, Digital Futures is designed to support progress at every stage.

The programme is not about prescribing a single pathway, but enabling organisations to make confident, evidence-led decisions based on their own context, priorities and level of maturity.  

Co-designed with sector leaders, Digital Futures has been shaped through sector-wide collaboration and insight, including input from UK Active’s Digital Futures Advisory Group, which has brought together over the years strategic partners; Gladstone, EGYM, Technogym,  LesMills and Myzone, contributing partners; Xn Leisure, PerfectGym and Leisure Labs, and participating organisations; Everyone Active, Parkwood, Sandwell Leisure, Pembrokeshire Leisure, Yorkshire Sport, London Sport and England Golf.

The overarching vision for Digital Futures is to enable the sector to use digital to increase organisational impact and enhance experiences for colleagues and communities.

In June last year, the Advisory Group supported a review of progress and impact, drawing on four years of national data and extensive sector consultation. The review identified strong progress among organisations participating consistently in the programme, while highlighting the need for clearer guidance, independent support and specialist workstreams to help organisations either begin their digital transformation journey or deepen the digital capability already developed.

The insights have shaped the next phase of the programme, which will focus on increasing engagement among organisations that have not yet taken part, improving support for lower- and mid-maturity organisations, and creating further collaboration among higher-maturity organisations around data sharing, interoperability and stronger links with health pathways.  

Responding to sector needs: new priorities for 2026/27 The programme will also continue to support priority workstreams including digital health, cybersecurity, responsible adoption of AI and advocate for the use of open data, helping organisations strengthen data integrity, use AI ethically and securely, and explore how a more robust data infrastructure can support a healthier nation. In 2026 the programme will prioritise:

• Reaching more of the sector
  Clearer communications, targeted outreach and an improved consultation experience will make it easier for more organisations to take part, including Active Partnerships, National Governing Bodies and other non-leisure organisations, supported by Peripheral.
• Turning insight into action
  Enhanced results, more personalised recommendations and a new AI-supported assistant will help organisations at lower and mid-levels of digital maturity understand their position and what steps to take next.
• Connecting digital with health
  Digital Futures will support higher-maturity organisations to collaborate on data sharing, interoperability and establishing stronger links between the physical activity sector, health and social care.

 Allison Savich, Innovation and Digital Lead at Sport England, said: “Digital capability is essential for fitness and leisure operators to help more people get active and stay active.

“Digital Futures is supporting organisations to grow their confidence, adopt best practice and collaborate on shared challenges – strengthening the entire ecosystem and helping operators to serve their communities better.”

Dave Gerrish, Strategic Lead for Digital at UK Active, said: “Digital Futures continues to evolve with the needs of the sector and the next phase is about making our support clearer, more practical and more personalised.

“Every organisation, regardless of size or maturity, can take meaningful steps forward, and those that participate consistently are able to build confidence, strengthen capability and make more informed decisions about the future.

“Over the coming months, we will be introducing new partnerships, resources and opportunities for collaboration, ensuring organisations have access to the support, insight and expertise they need to accelerate progress.”

UK Active is encouraging all organisations across the physical activity sector, including independent operators, public and private sector operators, trusts, National Governing Bodies, Active Partnerships, suppliers and community-based organisations, to complete the Digital Futures consultation in 2026 and help shape the direction of the programme.

Digital Futures is free to access and available year-round – complete the Digital Futures consultation here.