Access All Areas in Lurgan Park

On Friday 17 June 2011, 15 Outdoor activity providers, countryside officers, park wardens  and organisations who work for people with disabilities from across Northern Ireland joined together at Lurgan Park, Co Armagh to take part in ‘Creating an Accessible Outdoor Experience for All’ training.

The workshop was organised by the Countryside Access and Activities Network’s (CAAN) Venture Outdoors team who were delighted to offer training facilitated by the Sensory Trust (www.sensorytrust.org.uk).  The sensory Trust have been working with site managers, communities and professional in the UK and internationally to increase the quality of the visitor experience in public open spaces for over 15 years, for all people regardless of age, ability or background.

The training provided delegates with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of what makes a site accessible for people with disabilities from the moment they arrive to when they leave the site, outdoor centre or park. The participants where provided with practical examples of techniques they can implement to make on site experiences more inspiring and interesting for people with disabilities.

David Scott from Lagan Valley Regional Park highlighted; “The ‘Quality of Experience Training’ at Lurgan Park was not only enjoyable and brilliantly delivered but also extremely informative. As someone who works with a wide range of community groups and individuals from across the social spectrum I found the training provided me with new ideas and tools to enhance the experience of visitors to Lagan Valley Regional Park. Both the representatives from the Sensory Trust and CAAN were excellent and I left with a rejuvenated enthusiasm for the subject.” Claire Overend Venture Outdoors Development Officer highlighted, “‘It was a thoroughly enjoyable day with lots of innovative and practical ideas that have provided participants with exciting techniques to put in place to create a first-rate quality visitor experience for all abilities”.

The Venture Outdoors project involves three key areas; training for activity providers, landowners and community advocates, marketing including adaptation of websites, publications and devising marketing campaigns, participation in terms of taster sessions and finally helping to build bridges between these groups by bringing all project elements together. For more information on the project please visit www.countrysiderecreation.com/venture-outdoors.

The Venture Outdoors Project is a 3 year initiative of the Countryside Access and Activities Network and has been provided with a grant of £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities Programme and Ulster Garden Villages.