Dr William Bird MBE is passionate about getting people active. As a family GP in the 1990s, he pioneered the concept of social prescribing by setting up the first Health Walk scheme, closely followed by the first Green Gym. He quickly found that companionship and contact with nature were major driving forces in keeping people active. William is now a global authority on health and activity, and is an advisor to the World Health Organisation, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Sport England. Recognising William’s contribution to health and physical activity, William was awarded an MBE in the 2010 Queen’s New Year Honours and as an Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter in 2021. In 2022, Dr Bird was officially appointed as the Chair of Active Essex, the Active Partnership for Essex.
In 2010, he set up Intelligent Health, an organisation that has a mission to build healthier, active and more connected communities. Intelligent Health’s flagship programme is Beat the Street, which sees communities transformed into a giant game where players achieve points and prizes by walking, wheeling and cycling around their local area. Beat the Street has had almost 2 million participants worldwide to date and is backed by research which demonstrates sustained physical activity behaviour change. The transformational tool is a widely acclaimed programme that has been recognised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Transport.