I read with interest about a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Sport at Loughborough University that it is only around one in eight girls who reach the standard level of fitness by the age of 14 years.  Read more

Earlier this week I read an interview with Abhijit Banerjee, MIT economist and co-author of Poor Economics described as “Freakonomics for the billion people on earth who live on less than a dollar a day”. Read more

One of the great pleasures in the life of a researcher is having the opportunity to be involved in the creation and development of new products and services – from those first sparks of ideas, when those first little seeds are germinated right through to the detail of packaging, pricing or communications.  Read more

Over the past 24hrs the media has been awash with proposed moves to  “fine” parents for their children’s unauthorised absence from school meanwhile over on Radio 4 this morning, debate raged over whether the NHS might “bribe”/“incentivise” (both terms are used) the obese to lose weight. Read more

I’ve recently returned from a week in South Africa so I am trying to get used to the cold weather and ‘normal’ life.  I always enjoy visiting new places and I love getting the chance to explore and experience cultures so different to those I’m used to in the UK.   Read more

The issue of improved safety for cyclists has been a key talking point in the media over recent weeks.  At the forefront has been The Times, who have led with their Cities fit for cycling campaign, launched after journalist Mary Bowers was badly injured on her way to work in November 2011 and still remains in hospital.  Read more

A campaign that’s really grabbed my attention this new year is the Time to Change initiative to get people talking about mental health issues and end the stigma around mental health. Read more

It goes without saying that the technological paradigm shifts of the last 30 years have had, and continue to have, a massive impact on the way we live our lives.  No part of our day to day existence remains untouched by the digital revolution.  Read more

From March Londoners will have a new way to pay for travel.  If you’re lucky enough to have a contactless bank card you will be able to use it when travelling by bus. Read more

To complement the recently published Portas Review on the British high street, we conducted two focus groups to gauge sentiment and find out what improvements could be made to make the high street more relevant to local residents. Read more