News

ORN Academic Research Group (ARG)

The Outdoor Recreation Network (ORN), established in 1968, includes nearly 40 member organisations across the UK and Ireland. These organisations share a common vision: to “Support and encourage everyone to responsibly enjoy and engage with the outdoors.” This vision is achieved through collaborative research sharing, facilitating information exchanges, and promoting inclusive and sustainable practices.

 

Academic Research Group

The ORN Academic Research Group (ARG) helps researchers share insights with each other and with those who work in more practice and policy fields. ARG sessions take place on a quarterly basis online and we invite contributions on research topics related to outdoor recreation from those working in universities and colleges, research institutions, and sector organisations. Each session lasts for 1 hour and covers 3 topics maximum.

Call for contributions

Researchers are invited to volunteer 15/20-minute presentations and updates on research projects and areas of interest. Please submit these to Dr Elizabeth Annett at elizabeth@outdoorrecreation.org.uk using ‘ORN ARG proposal’ in the Subject field of the email. Presentations will be grouped thematically (as done below for December and February) – we are particularly interested in ideas for the September and March sessions:

 

ORN ARG session	Outdoor recreation related topic(s)
Tuesday 3rd September 2024 10:00 – 11:00	TBC
Wednesday 4th December 2024 12:00 – 13:00	Shaping Outdoor Environments to Promote Healthy Living and Aging
Thursday 6th February 2025 11:00 – 12:00	Managing Recreational Disturbance and Responsible Use
Thursday 27th March 2025 12:00 – 13:00	TBC

 

The ARG is a valuable forum to also understand sector needs and requirements, sharing opportunities to undertake joint activities and research, and enable more cross-sector involvement.

Contribution of particular interest relate to thematic priorities identified in the current ORN Action Plan:

• Accessibility and inclusion
• Making a more sustainable sector to tackle climate change
• Sustainable outdoor recreation related tourism and visitor management
• Local greenspace and green infrastructure
• Transforming nature connection.

 

Please email Dr Elizabeth Annett elizabeth@outdoorrecreation.org.uk in the ORN Secretariat Team if you wish to present and sign-up here to join the ORN ARG Mailing List.

____________________________________________

ORN Success Awards 2024

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS RECOGNISED AT ORN AWARDS 2024

The Outdoor Recreation Network (ORN) proudly announces the winners of the ORN Awards 2024, celebrating exemplary efforts in the outdoor recreation sector across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The inaugural awards ceremony was held on 11^th April 2024 in picturesque setting of Glendalough, Co. Wicklow as part of the ORN Conference ‘Navigating Outdoor Recreation with Insights’.

The award categories aligned to the themes of the and in turn the key and current challenges of the outdoor recreation sector. The panel selected the following winners from a vast array of submissions:

Best Practice for Accessibility and Inclusion

Clare Sport Partnership

Development of a pioneering digital system, empowering trail managers and users to assess and evaluate trail accessibility in advance.

The judges said:

This innovative use of technology enables trail management organisations to evaluate the accessibility of their trails against national criteria, this adds further value to the Waywyser Digital Trail Management System. Even more exciting is how potential trail users are empowered to make an informed decision on the suitability of a trail by viewing any possible barriers to accessibility via the 360 video or 3D modelling.

Best Example of Tackling Climate Change

The National Trust

Climate Modelling – a groundbreaking project, demonstrating leadership and commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change across their portfolio.

Reducing our corporate carbon footprints and dealing with the impacts of climate change should now be embedded in most organisations thinking, but it is challenging especially for larger scale organisations. The National Trust has shown strong leadership in our sector in this respect and has provided an exemplar project in terms of how they are dealing with impacts of climate change across their portfolio. The climate hazard mapping is really positive and the fact that they have shared their work in the public realm is very helpful.

Best Example of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation Related Tourism and Visitor Management

Ramblers Scotland & Partners

#RespectProtectEnjoy campaign – an innovative campaign which leveraged social media platforms to promote responsible access and engagement with the outdoors.

This is a really innovative project that has done what many organisations have struggled to do in terms of creating connections with and effective messaging to those new and unaffiliated to the outdoors. Their use of irreverent and entertaining videos and the use of TikTok and other social media platforms brings fresh messaging to well versed information.

Best Example for Improving Greenspace and Green Infrastructure

Forestry and Land Scotland

Glentress Masterplan – a comprehensive initiative fostering community engagement and sustainable tourism while enhancing greenspace infrastructure.

This award recognises the substantial work in Glentress over many years and the work with community and business stakeholders to give long term social and economic benefits. We see here a great demonstration on how a successful master planning approach, around a sporting event, opens up dedicated  infrastructure, enterprise and recreation activity to a wider audience.

Best Contribution Towards Transforming Nature Connection

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Generation Wild – a project which fosters meaningful connections with nature through immersive experiences and storytelling.

This creative partnership approach, evidenced by Cardiff University, gives measured positive change in nature connection and mental wellbeing for children, families and school communities. At the heart is the delivery of supported immersive experiences using the five pathways to nature connection: senses, emotion, compassion, meaning and beauty. The reach of the programme has been extensive with impact in harder to reach communities, demonstrating nature is for everyone. The formative research of this programme and resulting measured change is exemplary.

Best Example of Research Making an Impact

Natural England

Creating More Accessible Green and Blue Spaces – involving research to inform the approach to creating more accessible green and blue spaces for individuals with visual impairments, providing valuable insights and recommendations for the sector.

This research provides valuable recommendations for the outdoor recreation sector on how we can improve access to green and blue space for people with visual impairments. The impact of the research is clearly seen from the way it has informed strategy and practice across the UK, and how it has sparked collaborative conversations.

All nominees were highly commended for their efforts, reflecting the collective commitment of the outdoor recreation sector to positive change.

“We are thrilled to recognize the outstanding contributions of our winners and nominees,” said James Nevitt, Co-Chair of the ORN. “Their dedication to accessibility, sustainability, and fostering connections with nature is truly commendable and inspires us all.”

The esteemed panel with unenviable task of selecting the winners was Helen Lawless, Acting CEO Mountaineering Ireland, Mike McClure, Landscapes NI Development Manager, and Fiona Groves The Natural Route Director.

Helen Lawless is in the really lucky position of being able to combine her love of mountains with her work for Mountaineering Ireland, the national representative body for hillwalkers and climbers on the island of Ireland. Helen’s job is focused on maintaining and improving access for hillwalking and climbing, and helping to protect Ireland’s mountains. Outside of work, she is an active hillwalker, with a passion for wild and rugged landscapes, and a curiosity about all aspects of the mountain environment. She holds both the Mountain Leader and International Mountain Leader awards. Helen is currently the Acting CEO in Mountaineering Ireland.

Mike McClure’s background was in Environmental Science and he worked in the field of outdoor and environmental education for over 20 years followed by 17 years in outdoor sports development. He is passionate about engaging people with nature and communicating the importance of our fantastic landscapes, ecosystems and wildlife. He believes that nature has immense restorative benefits for people and puts this into daily practice through walking, cycling or paddling in natural settings.
From January 2024, Mike took on a new role of “Landscapes Northern Ireland Development Manager” to help the landscape management organisations work more collaboratively together and to develop appropriate landscape level strategies and policies in Northern Ireland.
Mike was a former vice chair of the UK and Ireland Outdoor Recreation Network and is also currently the chairman of the European Network of Outdoor Sports (ENOS) and has been involved in a range of European Projects. These include leading the Benefits of Outdoor Sports for Society (BOSS) project and the Sustainability and Environmental Education in Outdoor Sports (SEE) project.
Mike is still a very active outdoor enthusiast – with his main passions being sea kayaking and cycling. He is a British Canoe Union level 5 Coach and has paddled and coached extensively throughout the UK and Ireland from the Shetlands to the Channel Islands. Slow, multi-day journeying through landscapes by kayak or by bike really floats his boat!!

Fiona Groves is an engagement specialist, bringing extensive and varied expertise drawn from her own consultancy, substantial employed work and from working locally and across the UK. Her expertise is in the natural environment, forestry and heritage sectors.  As a well-practised chair, facilitator and trainer, Fiona directs advice, guidance and support to leaders, managers and volunteers in the development, delivery and evaluation of public, community and learning services. Fiona operates across a number of networks, previously as Outdoor Recreation Network Chair, Visitor Safety Group Board Member and leading the formation of Forest Education Network England.

About the Outdoor Recreation Network (ORN): The Outdoor Recreation Network (ORN) has the vision of encouraging more people to enjoy and engage with the outdoors. Our members from across the United Kingdom and Ireland work in collaboration to help share research, facilitate information exchange and champion sustainable good practice. Our current members are researchers, enablers, providers and practitioners, all committed to providing diverse and immersive experiences in the outdoors, something we are proud to build on.

All awards and all winners pictured with ORN Co-Chair James Nevitt.

 

____________________________________________

Thank You Bridgette

As many ORN members know, Bridgette Hall MBE stepped down earlier this year from her role as ORN Co-Chair. Her successor James Nevitt along with our other Co-Chair Pippa Langford met up with Bridgette last week at Westonbirt Arboretum to handover thank you gifts from the ORN Executive Committee. This included a personalised OS Map of her local area and a very special cycling jersey signed by Chris Boardman (MBE)!

Let’s take a quick look back at some of Bridgette’s ORN achievements:

Bridgette’s earliest memories of ORN meetings go back to 2014 in Ireland for a seminar on Youth Participation in Outdoor Adventure and inland water recreation, hosted by Waterways Ireland. She became a regular member of the Management and then Executive Committee around the same time. Submitting an article for the ORN Journal on the management of mountain biking for the Autumn Journal in 2015 was a great success as the document received very high praise in hits and downloads.

Bridgette was Finance Officer from around 2015 to September 2018, before becoming Vice Chair and working with two Chairs before ORN moved to a Co-Chair model. She shared this Co-Chair role with Pippa for three years and steered the Network brilliantly through the pandemic.

Her highlights of working with ORN include:

• Working with brilliantly talented people from a range of organisations.
• Being inspired and stimulated by the wealth of experience and ideas that come from such a rich membership.
• Going to some wonderful places to keep developing my thinking and growing my skills around collaborative working.
• Finding new friends who continue to enrich my working life.

Wishing her all the best with future endeavours!

____________________________________________

Subscribe to our E-Zine

Keep up to date with our upcoming conferences, seminars and publications by signing up to our e-newsletter.

Subscribe to our E-zine