Longford included in exciting outdoor recreation pilot programme

Longford is one of six Local Sports Partnerships that have been selected to participate in an exciting 3 year pilot which will see an Outdoor Recreation Officer employed with funding being provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The Outdoor Recreation Officer will work in collaboration with the local authority, local development companies, state agencies and other key stakeholders to support a more coordinated, cohesive approach to outdoor recreation at county level.
They will coordinate the development and delivery of the County Outdoor Recreation Strategy to support the sustainable development of outdoor recreation in their county.

The position will aim to support and increase the number of people active in the outdoors while ensuring that best practice is implemented. The pilot process is intended to ‘prove the concept’ in advance of possible further rollout.
Also selected to participate in the pilot programme are Local Sports Partnerships in Clare, Mayo, Meath, Sligo and Waterford.
The Longford Sports Partnership Annual Report for 2022 showed that the number of people who participated in sporting initiatives led by the Local Sports Partnership was - 24,766 - that is more than half the population of the county as per Census 2022.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, last Thursday, December 28 announced funding of €780,000 to support the development of ‘County Outdoor Recreation Plans’ and issued new national guidelines to assist in their preparation.
Funding of €1.28 million, over 3 years, has also been approved for the pilot programme to introduce County Outdoor Recreation Officers in the six Local Sport Partnerships.

The funding is part of a commitment in Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027, which sets the stage to strengthen and support the sustainable development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland for years to come.
Each county will now receive funding of up to €30,000 to develop a short, focussed plan to underpin the effective development of their outdoor recreation amenities. New guidelines have also been published to ensure that the plans are aligned with the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy.

The plans should take into account the current outdoor recreation amenities in an area and outline where outdoor recreation infrastructure and services should be located over a three-year period.
Future investment decisions in each county will then be informed by these plans, including funding decisions taken under schemes such as the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).

Funding of over €400,000 per year is also being made available by the Department of Rural and Community Development for new Outdoor Recreation Officer posts in 6 Local Sports Partnerships – Clare, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Sligo and Waterford.
This is part of a 3-year pilot programme which is being delivered in collaboration with Sport Ireland. These officers will provide expertise and guidance to the outdoor recreation sector in the county and will coordinate the development and the delivery of the County Outdoor Recreation Plan in their county.

Minister Humphreys said, “More than ever people are getting active in the outdoors and we want to make sure everyone has access to high quality amenities and experiences. That’s why I am pleased to announce these new suppor
“This is a significant opportunity to identify the key outdoor recreation priorities and opportunities for each county. I would urge the local communities to engage with the consultation process so that they can shape the vision for the future of outdoor recreation in their local area.”

CEO of Sport Ireland, Dr Úna May, welcomed the announcement. “I am delighted to see these roles being introduced to augment and support our strong network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs).
“The development of outdoor recreation has always been an integral part of Sport Ireland’s ambition to get more people participating in sport and physical activity, and achieve the Government’s target of 60% participation rates amongst Irish adults by 2027.
“These new Outdoor Recreation Officers will play a significant part in the step change to greater impact in counties across the country.”