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August heathers bring the Mournes to
life.
Providing a forum for its 33
clubs
- around 1950 individual members - promoting their interests,
encouraging recreational walking, an appreciation and respect for the
countryside, working to obtain improved access to the beautiful areas
which abound in the region, building and strengthening links to likeminded
organisations locally, nationally and internationally.
UFRC are keen to build up a database of e-mail
addresses of individual club members , this allows our Officers to send
information directly . Many walking clubs do not have regular
internal meetings so dissemination of information from club secretaries is
sometimes slow. If you wish to be contacted in this way either send the
name, club and e-mail address directly to our Secretary
latest News Update
(Chairman at Public
Right of Way inquiry in Newry)
Application Form
Details of Course
This course has been
organised and partly subsidised by the UFRC for members of its affiliated
clubs. The course will be led by Stephen Synnott, Wilderness Medic with
the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team.
Date :
Saturday 16th October
This will take place at "An Creagan "
approximately 10 miles from Cookstown, on the Omagh Road.
Their website gives details on how to get there, and includes
booking instructions for hire of attractive cottages within "An Creagan"
complex for those members wishing to make the AGM into a full Tyrone
weekend.
An
Creagan website
Arrival:
Allowing for travel from Belfast
etc 10:00-10:30 Tea + scones:10:30-11:00
Walking:
11:00 until around 1:00.
There will be two walks, both fairly flat.
The shorter
one around 2.5 miles but might be
extended.
"An Creagan"
has
a good craft shop and small
Interpretation Centre
Lunch: 1:00-2:00
Meeting:
2:00-4:00
Computer Video Showand talk on “Sperrins”.
Business:
Agenda later
Have a
look at George Acheson's
'Coast to Coast'
article, you will want to do
this walk.
for requests or information
contact our administration
assistant :
Simon Reardon,
23 Innisfayle Park
bangor
CO.dOWN
BT19 1DR
administration@ufrc-online.co.uk
Using this
link
Note:
Simon will use his personal e-mail address when replying to
& in contact with clubs.
Simon,
our Administration Assistant, lives and works in Bangor. He is married with
two children .Simon was in 'The Sea Cadets' and gained many medals for
rowing, He completed 'The Duke of Edinburgh Award'-his first real taste
of outdoor pursuits. Keen on sports and a keen amateur football ,he
played
golf at Carnalea Golf Club ( to a handicap of 6). Like many of us,
Simon rediscovered a love of the great outdoors, began hill-walking and
became a member of ‘Spartan Red Sox’.
Since then he has completed many
courses including Mountain First Aid and Climbing Wall Course and is
currently waiting to complete his Mountain Leader Assessment course.
An approach from UFRC to help with administration tasks was accepted. Already, his knowledge and experience is proving an asset to UFRC. He looks forward to meeting UFRC members soon.
UFRC
Executive is proposing to make a submission on legislative reform on
Occupiers Liability to the NI Law Commission by its deadline date of 31st
October 2010
Our Chairman would encourage clubs and individuals to either:
Make an individual submission
– the
UFRC will be happy to assist with queries etc,
or
Contribute to the Executive proposal (with a deadline date of
Friday 17th September 2010 for comment) allowing time for the Executive to see all submissions at the
Executive Meeting on 21st September.
Clubs and individuals can pass on experiences and
problems as a result of current legislation:
(i.e) Examples of farmers reluctant to offer free
passage because of the increased onus of responsibility imposed by current
legislation as a visitor on land, or farmer [s] outright refusal to allow
free passage because of fear of litigation as landowners still retain a
responsibility for trespassers under the current legislation, etc etc.
“It would be useful to have examples
of occasions when the land owner plainly implied this was the reason why
he was preventing individuals or groups crossing through his/her land to
access a walk”.
As part of our submission, UFRC will likely
be asking the Commission to recommend ‘removing’ the current liability of a Landowner
to Recreational User’s [ with an exception to obvious negligence or
deliberate harm posed by the Landowner or other], bringing NI into line
with, and
arguably beyond current U.K. law.
Consultative Document on Law reform.
Find out some detail on Access in N. I.
From R.Carser -
Latest on Access situation in N .I.
We would be
grateful for recent photos of Ballycastle Coastal Path-especially
Marconi's Cottage area - and/or any up to date information on Coastal
Path. Please send to Administration Asst. Simon Reardon using link above.
·
·
OSNI Digital MAPS for N.I. released by Quo.
Official GIS and Mapping Partner of Mountain Rescue England & Wales Every recognised team
and member of Mountain Rescue England & Wales will benefit from the Quo
package receiving a free copy with associated maps.
Further details
National
Trails Day~Sunday 3 October 2010
National Trails Day is a celebration of Ireland’s wonderful variety of
trails and a chance for everyone to enjoy some of our most beautiful
forests, mountains and lakes. The primary objective is to raise awareness
of outdoor trails.
CAAN will be leading the organisation and marketing of National Trails Day
for Northern Ireland in partnership with funders. D.C.A. & L., N.I.E.A.,
Waterways Ireland and National Trust. National Trails Website
CAAN Event- Rathlin - 3 October
Innovative Ulster Way website launched
Next CAAN Volunteer Ranger event-Sun 3 October
Two interesting and useful Web-sites.
Lets go walking Lets go walking organises walking itineries in England, Scotland and
Wales.
Walk Ireland-Walk Ireland is
of great help in planning walks in R.of Ireland
Secure parking for S. side of
Mournes . at Attical
Saturday
17th April in the Grafton Gallery at Castle Espie Wetland Centre
near Comber Co. Down.
Slide Show images ~ R.Irvine & D.Sloane
Report
Visit Castle Espie Wetland Centre web-site.
Note: Event
on Sat 15 May at Castle Espie with resident bird spotter Dot Bleakely.
Starts at 6.30am
with breakfast at 9.00am and cost £12 paying on the day.
Walking -A Beginner's
Guide A
delightful and easily read book full of essential information and sound
advice for inexperienced walkers. Quickly increase your basic knowledge on
all aspects of walking .
Click the picture for further information .
The Belfast Hills
Partnership is important The partnership needs £30,000 to ensure that the excellent work
continues.
Help Save The Belfast Hills Details of events :
Walking
in Woodland ? Bothered by mosquitoes during breaks ?
Try this tip -keep a bottle of Listerine mouthwash in your backpack and
spray around your sitting area. Well worth a try-from Chairman Reg Magowan
Latest
Club Profile - Belfast C.H.A. WALKING CLUB
Beach Litter 77% up in 15 years.
UFRC strongly backs “Belfast Telegraph
Big Clean-Up” Campaign organized by Linda
Stewart (Environmental Correspondent).
Our web-site has
always highlighted scenic eyesores and some of
our clubs hold regular “Cleanup Walks”.
Many organizations have joined forces with Belfast Telegraph to
help remove these eyesores from our landscape, and UFRC
would be keen for as many of our affiliated clubs as
possible take part in this much needed
clean-up.
Contact: bigcleanup@belfasttelegraph.co.ukwith details of litter
hotspots which you find. Walkers are
among those most likely to encounter such areas. See our own comments on “Litter”
Excellent Discount
in Banbridge
15 % off original price on all regular full price stock to members
of UFRC CRORYS~29-31 BRIDGE
STREET, BANBRIDGE
More detail on our UFRC
discounts page
Have a look at :
Available Courses in N.I.
Details of E& LB Courses
Walkers Assn of Ireland
Walking this weekend?
UK Weather
Ireland Weather
Mountain
Ranges
U.K. Mtn Ranges
See
photos and report on
Swartberg Mtns
in
South Africa
Have you walked in Cornwall?-worth a visit-
see Ronnie Carser's interesting article and pictures
National Park Debate
reawakened?
Before
the end of the year, Environment Minister Sammy
Wilson is expected to launch a formal consultation process regarding the
feasibility of establishing National Park(s) in
Northern Ireland . This follows a visit to Scotland
where he visitedCairngorm and
Lough Lomond National Parks.
Mr. Wilson met representatives on the N.P.A. and
others, including farming groups living and working in these areas.
He discovered that farmers are using support available to make public
access to land more manageable and have been able to develop businesses
using the National Park idea almost as a brand. Farmers Markets
in these areas had positive consumer perception.
Although N.P.A.in Scotland could scrutinize planning
applications submitted for development within
their boundaries, 75% of these had not been
queried and of those which were, design issues
were the main problem and not siting.
It would appear that Mr. Wilson would wish to marry the ideas of
housing development, promotion of sustainable
economic activity and protection of
environmentally sensitive areas. An attempt,
it would appear, to make everybody happy-we
wish him luck. See 'Farming Life'
Article
A debate where the recreational walker should have a constructive input.
During a recent visit to a small farm in the Mournes,
Dr Herbert Diemont .from the Centre for Ecosystem Studies at Wageningen
University, Holland stated:
‘’Keep a Hill Farm viable, and a farming family will remain, protecting a
centuries old landscape’
Dr Hilary Kirkpatrick from the Ulster Wildlife Trust has noted the
increasing number of abandoned fields and lanes being swamped by whins.
Of more than 100 landowners with a share in grazing the Western Mournes,
only half a dozen still make full use of their right. Fail to act-and
where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea-will become a mere
bank of bracken and whin.
A Mourne farmer, speaking on a personal level, hopes that the current
debate on how to manage the mountains-with or without a National
Park-will generate fresh ideas and a viable method of taking decisions on
how best to use the open land left in trust by previous generations.
There is a need for gradual, planned change to protect the centuries old
landscape and the farming businesses that have created it.
All walking clubs need to be insured.
Civil liability insurance is especially
important .
Personal insurance should also be
considered .
See our section on
Club Insurance
Some safety points to ponder...
Care on farms
Visit ourpages, get ideas for 2010 walking trips.
G.B. and Ireland
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
SportActive A local firm offer very good deals
for walking holidays
NEW IMPROVED WEB-SITE
Number of Site Visits
Reset from 28,000 (26/12/09/)
Simon,
our Administration Assistant, lives and works in Bangor. He is married with
two children .Simon was in 'The Sea Cadets' and gained many medals for
rowing, He completed 'The Duke of Edinburgh Award'-his first real taste
of outdoor pursuits. Keen on sports and a keen amateur football ,he
played
golf at Carnalea Golf Club ( to a handicap of 6).
National
Trails Day~Sunday 3 October 2010
The partnership needs £30,000 to ensure that the excellent work
continues. 
See
photos and report on 
