Project Summary
 Active Exmoor is a sports tourism project based in Dulverton. The project is working to support & develop Exmoor outdoor activity industry and focuses on attracting visitors to Exmoor National Park. The project will develop and market a range of activity-based training opportunities across the area, working in collaboration with tourism-related businesses.
About The Project
As well as attracting and working with major event suppliers such as the Tour of Britain cycle race and the UK Ironman 70.3 triathlon, the project offers training schemes, networks for suppliers and participative activity clubs.
The project markets, promotes and supports a wide range of activities and events and has the most comprehensive database of what's on which is accessible via the Active Exmoor website.
Recent highlights (2007):
• 100 to gain NGB certificates through OPTIC
• 20 editions of Moor Active completed (50,000+ copies)
• e-Mailing list tops 3000
• over 55,000 people visit Website covering 134,000 pages between them
• Active Exmoor at Birmingham NEC Outdoor Show
• Kids Summer playscheme for August 07
• 17th June - 1000 enter UK IRONMAN 70.3, thousands come to watch.
• 23rd June - 150 complete 31 mile walk
• 11th September - Tour of Britain comes to Exmoor
• 4th Nov - Mass bike ride planned for 1500
Since 2003 the project has...
• Built up a website detailing and promoting hundreds of ways to get active on Exmoor with over 126, 000 visitors and rising. (www.activeexmoor.com)
• Produced 20 editions of the Moor Active Newsletter focusing on raising the awareness and inspiring the public to get active. (Over 54,000 copies now delivered door to door) (http://www.activeexmoor.com/Newsletters.asp)
• Built up an email distribution list of some 3,000 subscribers. Weekly updates are sent out inspiring and motivating the public to get active whilst also benefiting local activity suppliers
• Set up a network of outdoor activity suppliers on Exmoor to work together for mutual benefit. (training, economic, advice & support)
• Generated over £90,000 of additional external funding since the project was launched above the original budget
• Attracted the Tour of Britain cycle race to Exmoor for 2007 employing a dedicated worker to maximise tourism and economic benefits
• Attracted, worked with and provided continual operational support for the UK IRONMAN 70.3 world championship triathlon in 2006 and 2007
• Enabled over 2000 participations in sailing through the project Laser Pico access scheme
• Started, developed and run Exmoor’s first Canoe Club which has introduced over 200 people to canoeing on Exmoor in its first 18 months
• Set up and managed a outdoor activity training programme (OPTIC) focused on 16-22 yr olds helping over 260 young adults to find out about and gain NGB qualifications
• Set up and run an Outdoor Activity Club (eX-Men) introducing 199 people to adventurous activities
• Promoted Exmoor by running a stand at the Outdoor Show, Birmingham NEC March 07 (over 4000 visitors)
• Promoted Exmoor’s outdoor activities at local and regional events
• Set up and run Youth Community football coaching schemes
• Set up and managed popular youth summer activity schemes
CASE STUDIES
Kate Scott 45, unemployed single mum, Brushford
I first came across Active Exmoor at one of their community outdoor activity weekends. 2 years ago. 30 strangers soon became the best of friends after 2 days of sailing, climbing, mountain biking and canoeing. Since then Active Exmoor has kept me up to date with exactly what’s on, where and when. I never realised that so much to do! It’s not all expensive stuff either. I’ve even managed to persuade my teenage daughters to come along and start joining in Exmoor’s great outdoors!
Tim Melrose 17, student West Somerset Community College
"I've been on a number of OPTIC courses and they've been a great opportunity for me to learn new skills and get qualifications to help me find a job in the outdoors. I've now been offered a job with K2 Adventures which I will be starting this summer. Being a student it’s been difficult to access the type of training I needed and Active Exmoor has really helped me obtain these qualifications. There's no way that I would have been able to afford them otherwise!"
Alison Cliffe, converted outdoor enthusiast
A local Exmoor lady came home with a grin from the British Transplant Games held in Bath from the 17-20th August this year.
Alison Cliffe, who started canoeing with Active Exmoor two years ago, won gold in both the kayak slalom and kayak sprint events. Alison, 50, also took home gold in the singles tennis, and two silvers in the discus and badminton doubles.
If that wasn’t enough, Alison was also given the title of best newcomer to the games and given a place in the British team for the World Transplant Games in Bangkok 2007. Over 1,000 people took part in this year’s games which have been running since 1978. “It’s been fantastic having regular quality inspirational information from Active Exmoor. I just would have had no idea about all the wonderful things on my door step if it wasn’t for their service and I would certainly have never thought of trying canoeing. It’s a truly unique project and every region should have something of this nature. It just goes to show what you can achieve with a little inspiration!” Alison is once again entering in the UK Transplant games for 2007 July and leaves for the Bangkok on the 21st August.
Read more about this project in the Active Exmoor Year 1 Report and the final evaluation report.
Website: www.activeexmoor.com
Newsletters link: www.activeexmoor.com/newsletters.asp
Email signup link: www.activeexmoor.com/Membership.asp
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