The Great Outdoors – a special place for sustainable sport and recreation
Conference Proceedings
CRN Seminar
Lee Valley Regional Park
15 March 2012
Welcome and Introduction
Mike McClure, Vice Chair, CRN
Hugh Robertson the Minister for Sport and the Olympics has stated that
"Delivering a mass participation legacy for sport from London 2012 is one of my three top priorities……..I want to see a marked, and sustained, cultural shift toward greater participation in sport."
This seminar has been developed to look at:
· Whether the outdoors is making the most of the opportunities that the Olympics may create.
· Examples of good practice where the outdoors is providing a genuine legacy
· The challenge that the Olympics creates for the outdoors
· Whether the “sports organisations and bodies” recognise the potential of the outdoors
Theseminar is here in the Lee Valley Regional Park, which is 26-mile green corridor of an award-winning mix of countryside activities, sports facilities and nature reserves.
The Park is an oasis of nature within London and we will hear more about how sport, nature and recreation are woven together here from Shaun Dawson, the Chief Executive of the park.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company has highlighted on their website the importance of the landscape, shaped by a distinctive network of re-vitalised waterways, landscaped parklands and urban open spaces. They want the restored canals and rivers to help bring the landscape back to life, whilst also creating inspiring places to work and play – on the water.
The waterways will link the River Thames, and the historic docklands of East London to the heart of the new Park and its family-focused green spaces. They have indicated that the northern river-valley parkland, roughly the size of St James’ Park, will mature in the years after the Games as a green lung for the benefit of Londoners and visitors.
“The Olympic Park offers a truly unique opportunity. To have all of these assets combined in one place, within a few miles of central London, but with the space; and then the political will, to deliver something quite extraordinary, is not something which comes along very often.”
There appears to be a genuine recognition of the importance of green spaces and landscape and clearly there are great opportunities for sport and recreation to take place in the natural environment as opposed to pitches – but are we making the most of promoting outdoors for sport?
Sport England is providing funding through Places, People, Play initiative that will
· Upgrade up to a thousand local sports clubs and facilities
· Invest in a number of iconic multi-sport facilities that set the standards for future facilities development
· Protect and improve hundreds of playing fields across the country, preserving high-quality spaces for local people to play and enjoy sport
However, is the outdoors and natural environment being considered in this initiative?
In NI Sport NI target is to halt the decline in participation and see a 3% overall increase in participation and a 6% among under represented group. Yet, research completed in 2008 into trends in 23 outdoor sports for Sport NI by the Countryside Access and Activities Network has shown that a growth of 152% was quantifiable between 1995 and 2008.
In “Reaching Higher” Building on the success of Sport 21, the Strategy for Sport in Scotland, states that “Scotland has much to offer the world and the recent expansion of outdoor adventure sports has further promoted the country as an exciting and challenging location for sport tourism.”
So what are the opportunities?
How do we balance high performance and participation?
Are local authorities really thinking about the connections between countryside management and sport?
Are we effectively promoting the value of the natural environment for sport and recreation?
Is investing in pitches, sports halls and facilities the way forward – or do we need to think more strategically, look at the trends in participation and invest in access and relatively inexpensive and innovative initiatives to open the countryside.
We have a range of speakers for you today who will give their thoughts on some of these issues.
Unfortunately, Alan Eves from the Forestry Commission isn’t able to be here, however at the very last minute Paul Hawkins has agreed to stand in for him.
I believe that this day presents us with an exciting opportunity to consider further how we can maximize participation in sport and engagement with the natural environment through the Olympic Razzmatazz!
Our first speaker – Karl Boyle is the Chief Executive of Mountaineering Ireland. Over the past few months MI has been dealing with the some of these issues and I’m delighted that Karl was able to come and address us and will now hand directly over to him.
Keynote Address
Karl Boyle, Chief Operator, Mountaineering Ireland
Slide 1
When the text appeared on screen, it struck me that it had broken into 3 groupings; The Great Outdoors; The Ultimate Sport; and Arena - this helped shape my thoughts for today.
Slide 2 - Presentation outline.
Slide 3
Mountaineering Ireland is the representative body for hillwalkers and climbers on the island of Ireland and is recognised by the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland as the National Governing Body. Mountaineering Ireland has almost 11,000 members comprised of more than 150 clubs and 1,400 individual members.
Mountaineering Ireland’s membership is 50% male and female, with either one tipping the balance depending on the month. If you excluded individual members females have a slight majority.
In addition to membership management and support, the core functions of Mountaineering Ireland are; Training, Access and Conservation, Youth Participation and most recently Talent Development. Mountaineering Ireland is led by a voluntary board of directors, supported by a number of subcommittees and has a staff of 8 currently. Personal responsibility, responsible participation and adventure are values espoused by Mountaineering Ireland.
Slide 4
Great for people! – Physical and psychological benefits of hillwalking and climbing
The physical benefits of hillwalking, climbing and mountaineering, though obvious, are often contested and researchers often qualify their findings with consideration for variables such as intensity, environment, age, level of fitness, etc. However, most agree that the benefits have a significant impact on cardiovascular fitness and a positive impact on mobility, balance and strength.
The psychological benefits of our sport and outdoor recreation in general, are well documented. Again, many of psychological and well-being benefits are obvious; cognitive development, strengthened internal locus of control. (Simply put) The sense of achievement when you climb a mountain, the sense of renewal when you look out to the ocean and that connection with nature can have a significant impact on our mental health.
Slide 5
Great for people! - Participation for all, for life!
Our sport is for life. Mountaineering Ireland’s membership ranges from youths to those young in spirit. Recently, one member lamented his regret of not finding the mountains twenty years sooner, however, I have no doubt his next twenty years will be blessed by the mountains.
Slide 6
Great for people! - Variety of challenge/experience and skills development
We are all used to continuous professional development, upskilling and other similar terms in our working life but this also rings true in or recreation. We all want a new challenge, a new experience an opportunity to learn.
Variety, be it geographic or conditions, and opportunities to develop skills are key factors in continued participation and enjoyment in our sport.
Slide 7
Great for places? – Impact on the environment
The places where we enjoy our recreation are very often sensitive landscapes and vulnerable. Our activities, as well as environmental, have an impact on the natural environment, however, we all have the ability to manage our impacts and minimise them.
Slide 8
Great for places? – Responsible participation
Our choices and decisions shape the potential enjoyment of others. Sadly, some do not consider others or the environment and changing this culture requires a collective effort. Mountaineering Ireland is a member of Leave no Trace Ireland, an organisation focused on changing behaviours and embedding good practices in society. Interestingly, Leave no trace Ireland will launch a primary school initiative shortly that will see young children exposed to this positive message and hopefully, through education, this will inspire future generations to be more considerate.
Slide 9
Appropriate and positive interventions
Currently, Mountaineering Ireland is engaged with a number of communities considering managing the effects of erosion. Mountaineering Ireland’s approach is one of appropriate intervention to manage erosion whilst sustaining the character of the mountain/area.
Making the mountains more easily accessed or indeed safer should never be the rationale for intervention, it should only be for conservation of our natural environment and wild places.
Slide 10
Indirect Drivers of future Outdoor Recreation demand
Without going into the detail, Natural Scotland’s publication, Accessing Future Recreation Demand (2010) provides some very important learnings for those of us with a passion for the outdoors and the natural environment. It highlights; the need for a connection with nature; the importance of place attachment; and valued environments, to name but a few of the indirect drivers in outdoor recreation demand. Interestingly, it also identifies the need for green spaces to support a transition from the urban to the natural environment.
Slide 11
Mountaineering Ireland has, anecdotally, noted certain trends in participation. Most notably, in Ireland at least, retirement is now a growth age group for participation in outdoor activity. With young retirees, with an appetite to fill their time, there is increasingly a sense of adventure and the ‘gap year’ is becoming a common direction for the recently retired as they emulate their own children’ adventures.
Recession has seen families consider the opportunities available to them, which are close at hand and provide good value. A realisation is slowly occurring that well-being is as important as fitness and people are seeking out activities that take them into the outdoors.
Volunteers provide a critical support to many that need encouragement or direction. Volunteers need support and coordination and their capacity and confidence can be hugely increased when the appropriate resources and development opportunities are provided.
A number of critical success factors stand out that can be a tipping point in terms of individual decision making, participation and sustaining that participation. Positive role models, who can inspire by communicating a clear message and convince others that they can participate, have a huge role to play in changing behaviours and increasing participation.
In today’s world, attention to anything is limited so it is critical that the first impression is positive and the first experience is a quality one because there is no second chance.
Slide 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MVWmCF24LCg
Slide 13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0nQKSgRoaU&list=FL6DwlvUoD0jX1QFPJCR_GRQ&index=1&feature=plpp_video
Slide 14
Hiking is the most popular activity chosen by tourists visiting Ireland. It is more than 4 times more popular than golf, with cycling, equestrian and angling lagging behind further. Providing a quality outdoor recreation tourism product requires much more than the 7 P’s of marketing, it is about sustaining rural communities.
Quality planning is critical to the potential of creating this virtuous cycle and an understanding that moving tourists from one area to another is not a success unless they are being continuously replaced. Infrastructure for outdoor recreation can be as simple as well positioned stiles, showers at surf breaks, canoe hire, etc.
However, until local participation exists it is impossible to be convincing that the ‘product’ has any value.
Slide 15
The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
I contend that while this sounds wonderful, isn’t it just spin? How will the London 2012 deliver on this goal and what is the point if it doesn’t. Regional events should have regional impacts and legacy surely a global event should have national impact and legacy, especially in terms of society’s culture and participation in sport.
Slide 16
Olympic sports will, obviously and rightly, benefit hugely from their exposure, the successes of athletes and facility development. However, how will the Olympics benefit outdoor recreation and in particular adventure sports not represented in the Olympics?
Some may say this is irrelevant but surely at a time when obesity is the greatest threat to future generations we should be trying to leave a legacy of participation, maximising awareness and supporting the delivery of these opportunities.
Slide 17
An Olympic future - Wonderful potential, new challenges
Mountaineering Ireland faces its own challenges as competitive climbing is considered for future Olympic participation. This potential has resulted in investment by Sport Northern Ireland to develop talent. The outcomes Mountaineering Ireland is now seeing is fantastic, with youths breaking into the highest world rankings. [Dominic Burns, pictured here on route to winning the junior and senior Irish Bouldering Championships recently, is one of these stars.]
This journey will have many successes but the biggest challenge is securing and sustaining the investment in ‘athletes’, which will be required to reach the final destination – Olympic glory.
However, Mountaineering Ireland must never lose sight that the outdoors, maximising participation and sustaining lifelong participation remains our core focus.
Slide 18
I would like to challenge us all today to consider whether the legacy of the Olympics can be in Outdoor Recreation. An outcome of the Olympics should be a motivated audience, one willing to taste new sports, new adventures. It will be the first “social network”, where this audience can be tapped into, targeted and won over. It presents an opportunity to challenge their consciousness.
Outdoor recreation doesn’t just happen, there is a need for investment. Investment in outdoor recreation has a lasting impact, changes behaviours and links us back to nature, which is part of our DNA. Figures in the UK in Ireland, indicate that anything from £3 - £7 is saved in health when £1 is invested in sport. But we have failed to identify and communicate the other savings in terms of justice and education, which, I contend, would reflect even greater societal benefits.