The Countryside Access & Activities Network (CAAN)

Countryside recreation is a growing area of leisure activity; important for the chance to escape the routines of life, to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the countryside, to get fit, to get close to nature or, perhaps for some, to experience the thrill of an 'adrenaline sport.'

It is also of increasing economic value to individuals, host communities and society at large, especially at a time when rural areas are under severe pressure through diminishing agricultural returns and the collapse of traditional values.

The Northern Ireland Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) is an umbrella organisation which brings together all groups and bodies which have an interest in, or involvement in countryside recreation in Northern Ireland. This includes:

• those participating in countryside recreation activities
• local and central government organisations
• farmers and landowners
• providers of outdoor education
• environmental and community organisations
• youth organisations

The Network was established in 1999 in response to the publication of Northern Ireland's first Countryside Recreation Strategy in November 1998. It is charged with the strategic development and management of countryside recreation across Northern Ireland. CAAN's subsidiary company is Countryside Recreation: Northern Ireland. Limited by guarantee with charitable status, the Company is responsible for securing funding to enable CAAN to undertake practical countryside recreation projects.

For more information on CAAN visit our parent site at www.countrysiderecreation.com