Simon Osborn
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simonosborn.bsky.social
Simon Osborn
@simonosborn.bsky.social
Head of communications at Sport England. Long-suffering West Ham fan, increasingly suffering Chicago Cubs fan. Centrist dad with a mild caffeine addiction. Misguided views my own.
We live in the shadows
And we had the chance and threw it away
And it's never gonna be the same
'Cause the years are falling by like the rain
And it's never gonna be the same
'Til the life I knew comes to my house and says 'hello' ♥️
July 4, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Signs you’ve reached middle aged, No 34.

You have the first wet day in ages and you spend all morning muttering ‘this is good for the garden’.
May 24, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Well look who has just rocked up on Bluesky!

Important day for Sport England and some genuinely positive news to brighten a dull Thursday…
Record numbers for Active Lives Adults Survey, with 2.4 million more adults taking part in physical activity every week compared to 2015-16

Sport England’s Chief Strategy Officer, Nick Pontefract, covers the key takeaways in the new Active Lives Adult Report: www.sportengland.org/activelivesapril25
April 24, 2025 at 9:51 AM
This is great.

We have a childhood obesity crisis in England and building physical activity into the whole day is a huge part of the solution.
Much Wenlock school swaps uniform for tracksuits and trainers - BBC News
The headteacher does not believe "that wearing a shirt and tie means you will learn better".
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org
April 11, 2025 at 7:30 AM
That Trump/Zelenskyy video has to be the most depressing thing I’ve ever seen.
February 28, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Where we live can make a huge difference to how likely we are to play sport or be physically active.

Today, Sport England is announcing 53 places we’re partnering with, giving extra support and resources to help change that.
First 53 Place Expansion Partnerships announced | Sport England
Sport England announces 53 new places it's expanding its work into to address regional inequalities in activity levels. Each place is in top 10% of the country for inactivity, social need, deprivation...
www.sportengland.org
February 27, 2025 at 7:23 AM
“I said, oh wow, look at me now
I'm building up my problems to the size of a cow”

I’ve never been able to decide if this is a brilliant lyric, or a terrible one.

I think, ultimately, it’s so bad that it’s really good.

Either way, this gem is stuck in my head tonight.
The Wonder Stuff - The Size Of A Cow
YouTube video by TheWonderStuffVEVO
m.youtube.com
February 4, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Some big news from @sportengland.bsky.social this morning.

The big boss has announced he will leave his role at the end of July.

Tim has been amazing to work for and I’ve learnt a great deal from him over the last six and a half years.
Chief executive to stand down this summer | Sport England
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth to stand down from post this summer.
www.sportengland.org
February 4, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I’ve always found ice hockey fans to be most similar to British football supporters.

Always a good bellweather of public opinion and further evidence, if needed, of why sport and politics will forever be linked.
February 3, 2025 at 7:50 AM
What can be done to support more disabled people to work in the sport and physical activity sector?

Helen Newberry of the Activity Alliance has some of the answers.
Tools to close our sector’s work gap | Sport England
The workforce lead at Activity Alliance tells Sport England about the key findings from the charity’s latest research into disabled people in our sector's workforce.
www.sportengland.org
February 3, 2025 at 7:46 AM
📢 We’ve broken down our overall figure of £107 billion to reveal the annual social value of sport and physical activity by:

🟡 Region
🟡 Active Partnerships
🟡 Local authority

Find out more 👉
What's the social value of sport in your area? | Sport England
Sport England breaks down its overall figure of £107 billion to reveal the annual social value of sport and physical activity by region in England.
www.sportengland.org
February 1, 2025 at 8:18 AM
👁‍🗨 Focus on tackling inequalities
✨ Creating real change
🎯 Targeting our approach

On the fourth anniversary of #UnitingTheMovement, we're reflecting on the progress we've made over the last 12 months in our mission to transform lives through sport and physical activity.
Four years of Uniting the Movement | Sport England
Learn how Sport England has progressed over the last 12 months of Uniting the Movement, its long-term strategy to tackle inequalities and transform lives through the power of sport and physical activi...
www.sportengland.org
January 27, 2025 at 10:06 PM
‘Fifty-two per cent of Gen Z — people aged between 13 and 27 — said they thought “the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections’.

Quite a terrifying report in today’s Times. We’re sleepwalking into a total crisis.
Gen Z doubts about democracy laid bare in ‘worrying’ survey
More than half believe the UK should be a dictatorship and there’s a stark gender divide over equality, research for Channel 4 shows
www.thetimes.com
January 27, 2025 at 7:00 AM
‘Exercise because you love your body, not because you hate it’

It’s one of the best mantras I’ve heard and has stuck with me as a great way to promote the benefits of being active.
The knicker-snap that changed everything | Sport England
It's This Girl Can, Sport England multi-awarded campaign, 10th birthday and its director of marketing shares the importance of its mission and how it's changed the lives of millions of women and girls...
www.sportengland.org
January 21, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Disappointing start to the Women’s Ashes series in Australia. I can’t help feeling this England team are not the sum of their parts.
January 12, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Our This Girl Can campaign is nearly ten! 🥳

Hear from Sport England’s Kate Dale as she speaks to Naga Munchetty about the impact the campaign has had over the past decade, supporting more than 3 million women to get active in any way that works for them.

🎙️Listen at 2:25:00: bbc.in/3DO6lLv
Naga Munchetty - 08/01/2025 - BBC Sounds
Naga Munchetty features news, experiences, and big name interviews from around the UK.
bbc.in
January 10, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Looking for some photos to help illustrate an article on sport and physical activity?

Need some marketing material to help you promote your club or organisation?

@sport-england-se.bsky.social has a FREE image library of real people getting active and it’s available for anyone to use.
Log in | Sport England
We have a wide selection of sport and physical activity images that are free for you to use, whether it’s for a brochure, banner, leaflet or report.
www.sportengland.org
January 10, 2025 at 6:28 AM
My smart speaker just informed me that Johann Sebastian Bach released new music today.

I have some doubts about the validity of this claim.
January 9, 2025 at 4:44 PM
How can schools open up their facilities to community use?

Use our School is a free resource that supports schools to open their facilities to the community during evenings, weekends and holiday periods.

It increases schools’ revenues and gives communities the facilities they need.
Use our school | Sport England
How schools can open up their facilities to community use.
www.sportengland.org
January 9, 2025 at 7:07 AM
There are many ways you can describe Matt Gaetz.

Attorney general material is not one of them.
Ethics Panel Report Accuses Matt Gaetz of ‘Regularly’ Paying for Sex and Using Drugs: Trump Transition Live Updates
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2024 at 2:45 PM
This week Sport England and UK Sport published a report into diversity in leadership roles.

Diversity in Sport Governance 2024 provides a breakdown of the makeup of boards and senior leadership teams of organisations across the sport and physical activity sector.
New report into diversity in leadership roles published | Sport England
Sport England and UK Sport, along with Perrett Laver, publish the Diversity in Sport Governance 2024 report.
www.sportengland.org
December 21, 2024 at 8:52 AM
From today’s Times…

‘This involved a team of evolutionary biologists spending time in three pubs in Boston in the US. Over the course of several evenings, they observed the behaviour of 160 groups of customers…’

How does one become an evolutionary biologist - sounds like just my sort of job!
December 18, 2024 at 7:26 PM
Big day in the world of #pickleball.

@sport-england-se.bsky.social has today announced that the home nation sports councils have recognised pickleball as a sport and we’ve endorsed Pickleball England as its national governing body in England.
Statement on Pickleball England | Sport England
Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Northern Ireland and Sport Wales recognise pickleball as a sport and Pickleball England as its national governing body in England.
www.sportengland.org
December 17, 2024 at 7:43 PM
Sport England knows that playing fields are vital community resources that allow people to be physically active in a variety of ways.

Part of our role is to protect these valuable spaces - and we’ve published new statistics that show how well we’re doing.
December 13, 2024 at 8:25 AM
‘What does Sport England actually do?’

It’s a question I’m regularly asked, especially at this time of year by distant relatives at the dinner table.

Well, we’re a major funder for the sport and physical activity sector but our role is much wider and more varied than that….
December 11, 2024 at 7:30 AM