Youth: participation in outdoor adventure and inland water recreation

Introduction:

This seminar will focus on youth participation in the outdoors, particularly water-based activities.

We will explore why community organisations in the Killaloe area have been so successful in engaging with young people. We will also look at the role public authorities have in encouraging and motivating the younger generation to enjoy the natural resource on their doorstep throughout Ireland.

Programme

09:00 Registration, tea and coffee

09:30 Welcome and introduction

Session 1

09:35 Presentation 1: Adventure skills – Join the Queue Please.

Diarmuid O'Briain, Camp Chief

National Water Activity Centre Killaloe, Scouting Ireland

The National Water Activity Centre in Killaloe is one of 5 Scouting Ireland national campsites throughout Ireland. The 5th/22nd Killaloe Scout Group is the largest group in the western province and one of the largest in Ireland, with a membership of 240 ranging in age between 7 and 26 – with a waiting list to join. So why are they so successful in this technological age, what are they doing that continues to engage with young people and encourages them to participate in outdoor activities?

Diarmuid will take us through the many outdoor activities and opportunities the scouts offer and tell why they are so successful in Killaloe.

09:55 Presentation 2: Lough Derg - An Activity Destination for Today's Youth

Mike Jones, Operations Manager

UL Sport Adventure Centre

With almost 2 decades of experience in the adventure industry ULSAC has gone from strength to strength. The centre provides a wide range of activities, state of the art equipment and top class professional staff – everything that is needed to make a first class adventure facility. ULSAC is owned and run by the University of Limerick Sports Department. As well as providing an excellent facility for the staff and students in University of Limerick the centre also caters all year round for the general public.

Mike will tell us about the work of the activity centre and how it gives children the opportunity to gain confidence through participation in water activities. But is this enough? He will also discuss one of the proposals put forward by the Lough Derg Destination Development Road Map 2014 -2017. Is there a need for an iconic attraction in the region? Would this attraction encourage participation, is it needed?

10:15 Presentation 3: Row the Erne

Olivia Cosgrove, Chairperson

Row the Erne

Row the Erne is a community based organisation empowering people of all abilities and ages to build and row traditional craft on the Erne Waterway System in County Fermanagh.Row the Erne plans to build a 30 ft curach that will row 10 oars and have 2 sails in May/June this year. The project grew out of a very successful pilot trip that was made by the famous Colmcille curach (38ft long with 12 oars and 2 sails) to the Erne Waterways in the summer of 2013. The boat sparked local’s interest in traditional boat rowing as a new activity that promotes equality and where young and old can row side by side. Once the curach is built Row the Erne plans to take an expedition from Lough Erne to Killaloe in time for the ORN event - camping overnight along the waterways giving people the opportunity to be part of crew along the way.

Olivia will talk to us about how she involved young people in the project, the part they play in the organisation, why it is important to keep them engaged and the difference they are making in the community through traditional rowing.

10:35 Q&A

10:50 Networking break. Tea/ Coffee

Session 2

11:15 Presentation 4: Juniors Afloat

Liam Moloney

Lough Derg Yacht Club, Dromineer

Lough Derg Yacht Club provide a comprehensive programme of School Sailing for all local schools that wish to participate. The programme runs during term time from April to the end of October – weather permitting – and costs very little. This means that children can be introduced to sailing without having to buy a boat and all the gear. Sailing courses are also held during July giving participants the opportunity to learn in a variety of dinghies. Many of the young people who have completed this course, have graduated into Shannon One Designs, and quite a few now own one. Lough Derg Yacht Club is one of the oldest clubs in Ireland and the future is looking good.

11:35 Presentation 5: Water Matters - Education & More

Éanna Rowe, Head of Marketing & Communications

Waterways Ireland

A Waterways Primary School Teachers resource pack has been developed to integrate the inland waterways with the learning environment and provide learning experiences which are meaningful, accessible, engaging and stimulating. It included a range of activities which link to both the Irish Primary Curriculum and the Northern Ireland Curriculum. The pack also contains information relating to the inland waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland to aid teachers when devising lesson plans.

Éanna will present Waterways Ireland's successful Education Programme and other initiatives which Waterways Ireland are planning for the future.

12:00 Presentation 6: Title TBC

Keith Wood

12:20 Q&A

12:35 Summary

12:45 Networking lunch

13.45 Boat trip on Lough Derg with Killaloe River Cruises (90 minutes) courtesy of Waterways Ireland

Outdoor Recreation Network

The Outdoor Recreation Network (ORN), is committed to exchanging and sharing information to develop best policy and practice in countryside recreation across the UK and Ireland. The network has moved from focussing solely on recreation in the countryside, to encompassing all of the outdoors - from urban greenspace in towns and cities to remote, countryside and wilderness spaces across the British Isles.They achieve their goals through networking between our member organisations, organising research meetings, holding seminars and distributing the information to the wider audience through e-zines, a published journal and publications freely available on the website www.outdoorrecreation.org.uk

Waterways Ireland

Waterways Ireland is hosting the Autumn Seminar as a member organisation of the Outdoor Recreation Network. A North-South Implementation body, Waterways Ireland manages, develops and promotes over 1000km of Ireland's inland navigable waterways principally for recreational purposes.