Outdoor Recreation Network Reach New Heights with New Website and Action Plan
19 Mar 2025
The Outdoor Recreation Network (ORN) has unveiled its new website and Action Plan 2025-2028, marking a significant step forward in supporting outdoor recreation across the UK and Ireland. This milestone was announced during an online launch event, where ORN members and partners explored the enhanced digital platform, and the ambitious vision set out in the Action Plan.
The new ORN website has been designed to better serve members, providing a modern, easy-to-navigate platform with exclusive access to conference materials, research, event updates, and sector-wide best practices. The platform also hosts an interactive Member Dashboard, allowing organisations to connect, share insights, and stay up to date on the latest developments in outdoor recreation.
A key feature of the new website is its expansive resource library, which provides access to research and policy documents dating back to 1968. The updated event section offers members the ability to plan ahead, register for webinars, and access post-event resources.
As the Secretariat for ORN, Outscape has played a crucial role in facilitating the development of the new website and Action Plan. Jayne Evans, Outscape’s lead on developing the new ORN website, highlighted the significant effort that went into curating over 1,000 documents to create a user-friendly and comprehensive digital hub for ORN members. “This platform will continue to evolve, ensuring that members have the tools and information needed to shape the future of outdoor recreation,” she said.
Alongside the website, the ORN Action Plan 2025-2028 was introduced, shaped by extensive member collaboration. In addition to the two cross-cutting themes of Inclusion and Diversity and Sustainable Development, the Plan focuses on five key inter-related themes that will drive ORN’s work over the next three years:
- Improving Access & Accessibility
- Enhancing Health & Wellbeing
- Managing the Impacts of Climate Change
- Maximising Impact with Limited Resources
- Protecting Nature & Responsible Access
ORN Co-Chair Pippa Langford welcomed the new developments, noting: “This is an exciting time for the Outdoor Recreation Network. Our new website and Action Plan provide a strong foundation for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and practical action to ensure people from all backgrounds can responsibly enjoy and engage with the outdoors.”
James Nevitt, a key contributor to the Action Plan, emphasised the importance of member engagement: “The Action Plan was developed through listening to the needs of our members and ensuring that ORN remains at the forefront of outdoor recreation policy and practice. It’s about making a real difference, not just setting out ambitions, but creating tangible actions that will improve access to nature and outdoor experiences for all.”
Looking Ahead: ORN’s 2025 Conference and Success Awards
As part of its 2025 activities, ORN will host a two-day conference at The Sill, Northumberland National Park, on 16-18th June, focusing on outdoor recreation’s role in regenerative tourism. The network has also launched the ORN Success Awards 2025, celebrating outstanding contributions to the sector.
Join the Network
The Outdoor Recreation Network invites members, partners, and organisations to explore the new website, engage with the Action Plan, and contribute to shaping the future of outdoor recreation.