Northern Ireland will host over 60 free outdoor activity events as part of Get Outdoors Weekend enticing an estimated 4000 participants from all corners of the country.

On offer over the weekend is a range of adventurous activities from canoeing to archery, climbing and bushcraft.  Each event will be guided by an outdoor expert to show participants the ropes and offer a lot of encouragement along the way.  Participants can also choose from a host of themed guided walks including a nature reserve walk on Rathlin Island and exploring the heritage of Cave Hill on foot.

It was only at age 17 that Kelly Gallagher first tried her hand at skiing, and she believes everyone can find an activity they can enjoy.

She remarked, “My hope is that through Get Outdoors Weekend more people will get excited about what activities there are outside. Through events like this I hope people discover their love for a particular outdoor activity which they want to continue with after the weekend!”

She continued, “It’s a great opportunity to try something new but also to make friends and most importantly fall in love with the outdoors! It’s an amazing way to tell people about local activities that are inclusive to everyone right on their doorstep!”

Families and children are well catered for on Get Outdoors Weekend with 5 family activity days taking place in parks in Omagh, Enniskillen, Newry, Derry and Belfast.  This is particularly important given that only 43% of seven-year-olds in Northern Ireland take part in the recommended one hour of exercise each day, according to a University College London study.  The five events are full of outdoor activities, such as low ropes, treasure trails & laser clay pigeon shooting as well as fun activities such as face painting and arts & crafts, and with everything being offered for free there really is no excuse for families not to get active over the weekend.

Aideen Exley, Marketing Manager for Get Outdoors Weekend, commented, “Increasingly children are leading a more sedentary lifestyle, spending significant quantities of their time in front of a screen.  Doing outdoor activities allows children to feel connected with their environment, play and have fun.”

She continued, “As all the events are free of charge in Get Outdoors Weekend, this is a unique opportunity in the Northern Ireland calendar for everyone to get active and embrace our parks, forests and waterways.”

Asda are the sponsors for Get Outdoors Weekend, and General Store Manager, Steven Henry, from Asda commented, “We’re delighted to lend our support to the 2014 Get Outdoors Weekend. As part of our Community Life initiative, Asda is dedicated to finding new and exciting ways to encourage our local communities to think about their health and wellbeing.”

Many events must be pre-booked in advance and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  For more information and to book onto an event, go to www.GetOutdoorsWeekend.com

Get Outdoors Weekend  is coordinated by Outdoor Recreation NI in partnership with financial partners, Big Lottery, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency with support from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Sport Northern Ireland.  The events are hosted by a range of organisations including local councils, clubs and parks.