Lough Neagh Partnership Ltd Presentation to the UK Rural Development - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Lough Neagh Partnership Ltd

Presentation to the UK Rural Development and Networking Conference

15th November 2017 Dr William Burke – Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Manager

Lough Neagh – Background to the UK & Irelands Largest Freshwater Body

• Biggest Lough in British Isles
• Surface Area of Lough 383km²
• Average depth 8.9m
• Length of shoreline approximately

125km

• Maximum length 30.5km (SW-NE)
• Maximum width 12.1km (W-E)
• Total Lough Neagh Catchment

5750km²

• RAMSAR, SPA, ASSI,
• Sand, Eel And Water Industry
• Lough Neagh Partnership

Lough Neagh Partnership – Who are we?

• Established in 2003 as a not for profit

limited company with Charitable Status

• Made up of local stakeholders from

around the shores of the Lough

• A Board of 21 Directors with

representatives from the five Local Councils, local community groups, local businesses and representatives from special interest groups.

• Works closely with Government

agencies

• Core staff of 8
• Has attracted investment in excess of

£14 million

Partnership Vision & Mission

Vision “A well managed sustainable Lough Neagh valued by current and future generations”. Mission “To coordinate, facilitate and deliver a wide range of tourism, culture and heritage, environmental and recreational initiatives for the sustainable development and management of Lough Neagh”.

Lough Neagh Partnership - What we do

• Aim to coordinate a range of activities

that can make a significant impact on the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of the Lough Neagh area.

• Work across five strategic thematic areas
• Tourism promotion
• Environmental protection, enhancement

and sustainability

• Heritage conservation, management and

promotion

• Leisure, recreation and safety
• Attracting investment and financial

sustainability

Long Term Governance

• 2016 - New Lough Neagh Development Trust

established ( Interim Directors)

• Aim is to acquire the bed and soil of Lough

Neagh ( Shaftesbury Estate in full agreement provided the Trust can provide evidence of its management capabilities).

• Essential to gain cross Departmental support
• Currently open for membership as Friends of

Lough Neagh

• Lough Neagh Partnership will probably

become the operational wing of the new trust but this will not happen for a number of

• years. In meantime, LNP will continue to
• perate as at present.

Main Programmes and Projects

• Lough Neagh Landscape

Partnership Programme

• SPA and ASSI Management Plan
• WaterPro
• Tourism Destination

Management Plan

• Marketing Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

• Partnership based programme
• Covers an area of 405 km2 and has the Lough Neagh

wetlands, archaeology and people at its heart

• Aims to protect, conserve and develop the natural, built and

cultural heritage around Lough Neagh over five year period, from 2016-2021

• Community focused and Forum led
• Strong regional strategic focus combining partner objectives

with the aim of establishing a sustainable and resourced legacy

• Developed with strategic partners to address the heritage

needs of the Lough and its shoreline on a holistic integrated landscape basis

• Partnership project supported by HLF, Councils, government,

environmental organisations and local community stakeholders

• Investment of £3.52 million over 5 years

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Funding

• Main funder - Heritage Lottery Fund
• Match Funders – District Councils, NGO’s

Government Departments, Universities and Community Organisations

• Total project value - £3,528,058.00
• Grant from HLF - £2,494,900.00
• Council Contributions - £499,059.00
• Others - £534,099.00
• Leverage of £6.60 invested for every

£1.00 committed by Council

• LNLP Team continuously looking for other

funding opportunities that will further maximise financial commitment

Partners

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

• 27 broad programme headings hosting in excess
• f 100+ projects relating to:
• Natural Heritage – peatland conservation &

management, biodiversity promotion, environmental education, countryside access, litter-less Lough, species & habitat protection

• Built Heritage – archaeological surveys, historic

building conservation, schools engagement, heritage skills training, canal heritage, experimental archaeology

• Cultural Heritage – people, songs, stories, myths &

legends, World War II local history, exhibitions, publications, placenames etc

• Heritage Tourism – two visitor centres, 24 planned

tours, tour leaders trained, strategic heritage signage programme for the whole Lough

• Volunteer training and wider heritage education

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme

Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership Programme – Case Studies -Toome Lockhouse

SPA and ASSI Management Plan

• Creation of an SPA/ASSI stakeholder

forum, farmers and shooting /conservation club reps

• Major mapping exercise to identify

priority habitats

• Development of management strategy

that will facilitate the drawing down of DARD investment around the Lough and the better protection of wet grassland to improve the favourable status of the SPA/ASSI.

Lough Neagh & Its Waterways Tourism Destination Management Plan

Destination Management Plan

Review of DMP to clearly identify tourism product and develop an Implementation Plan LN Tourism Forum ( Tourism Providers) LN Themed Cluster Groups

• Lough Neagh Food
• Lough Neagh Heritage
• Outdoor Activities (Shoreline) including eco-tourism
• Outdoor Activities (Lough and river based)
• Heaney – (MUDC)

Role of Festivals in promoting Lough Neagh

Destination Marketing

Website: www.discoverloughneagh.com

• Listings for accommodation, attractions, activities, eat & drink and events.
• Website features a destination blog, itineraries and featured day trips
• The content is populated with a feed from discovernorthernireland.com
• The website is also fully integrated with Social Media and is mobile responsive

App: A new destination app is due to be launched in the coming weeks, its content will feed from the website

Destination Marketing

E-newsletter:

• Consumer newsletter issued monthly April – Sept, Halloween & Christmas
• Stakeholder newsletter issued quarterly, or more often if required

Competitions:

• A blog competition will be launched for the summer
• A children’s colouring competition will be launched for Christmas
• Social Media competitions running regularly in partnership with tourism

providers

Destination Marketing

PR:

• Event Press Releases issued monthly April – Sept, Halloween & Christmas

Social Media:

• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google +, Flickr – regular posts

Promotional Campaigns:

• Summer (promoting events, blogs, trails & activities)
• Christmas (promoting events, markets, trails & activities)

Thank you