Outscape Conference 2023: Creating Healthy People, Communities and the Environment
1st March 2023The Outscape Conference 2023 was a huge success! The event attracted a wide range of organisations within the outdoor industry including local authorities, environmental organisations, government departments, governing bodies of sport and charities. We want to thank the Greenhill YMCA National Outdoor Centre for hosting us, Graham Little for being an excellent MC and managing to bring out the best in our ‘expert panelists’. The sofa sessions allowed for a very open and honest debate around our themes and we certainly left feeling better informed on the many areas touched on throughout the day – a huge thanks to our 12 expert panellists.
Special thanks are also due to Zak Hanna for his inspirational session to close the conference. We really hope that we can all learn from Zac’s personal determination to succeed.
Zak Hanna is the fifth fastest mountain runner in the world and fifth fastest in Europe. No mean feat for someone born and bred in Dromara who hasn’t always run for their hobby.
Our conference Walkshops were a great success also, with most delegates choosing one of the six available. These walkshops covered topics such as; Ways to engage underserved / underrepresented groups, The challenges of delivering a Community Trail, Determining the social value of trails and greenspace, Protecting a ‘honeypot sit’ – stone pitching at Slieve Donard and networking walks.
Watch the conference back now!
Conference Theme
Outdoor recreation has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, with the importance of the outdoors for our health and wellbeing, as well as concern for the declining health of the natural world gaining greater understanding and acceptance. People cannot be healthy in an unhealthy world, and outdoor recreation can offer win-win solutions by improving human health while protecting and enhancing the environments in which we live, work, and move in.
The conference comprised of panel discussions on the synergies between outdoor recreation and health, local communities and the environment.
Hosted at the brilliant Greenhill YMCA in Newcastle, Co. Down it’s an ideal location on the slopes of Slieve Donard mountain for our friends across the island of Ireland working in the outdoor recreation and associated sectors. It included optional walk-shops in the afternoon around the nearby trails.
MC: Graham Little (NPE Media)
Graham Little is a TV presenter and journalist from Enniskillen who is widely recognised across Northern Ireland. Having tackled some of the world’s toughest sporting challenges, the well-known TV sports journalist will be hosting the Outscape Conference and speaking to our panel experts and inspirational guest.
Inspirational Speaker: Zak Hanna (Team Ireland)
Zak Hanna is the fifth fastest mountain runner in the world and fifth fastest in Europe. No mean feat for someone born and bred in Dromara who hasn’t always run for their hobby.
Expert Panel: Health and Outdoor Recreation
Expert Panel: The Environment and Outdoor Recreation
Expert Panel: Local Communities and Outdoor Recreation
