Northern Ireland Veterans’ Sports and Outdoors Navigation

AA Veterans’ Support were awarded £70,000 under the Positive Pathways programme for their Northern Ireland Veterans’ Sports and Outdoors Navigation (NIVSO) project. The project identifies, locates, promotes and supports social prescription and wellbeing activities for Positive Pathways Veterans, specifically sports and outdoor-related activities, across Northern Ireland.

The overarching aim of the navigator post is to ensure that a greater number of Veterans in NI have knowledge of, and access to, a wider range of sports and outdoor activities in their local area and that opportunities are offered across NI. The role focuses on hard-to-reach Veterans, thereby tackling social isolation in a safe, welcoming and trusted environment.

The navigator works in collaboration with the NIVSO in ensuring that the activities on offer are demand led, highly accessible to Veterans and particularly that trust is built between Positive Pathways delivery partners and Veteran groups.

The Sports and Outdoor navigator took up the post on 1 April 2020 during a period of uncertainty with COVID-19. While the navigator’s ability to ‘get out’ and meet with organisations, groups and Veterans was impacted, the time was used to introduce the role, using virtual means to the many Veterans’ support organisations and Veterans across the province. The navigator quickly identified gaps in the Veteran’s Gateway, which he worked collaboratively with the NIVSO to ensure the information was updated and accurate for the Veteran’s community in Northern Ireland.

During this period, the navigator contacted a vast number of groups and organisations, whom he was able to meet up with once restrictions permitted. A database of over 180 organisations, clubs and groups has since been created, who are Veteran friendly. He has also been able to actively signpost many Veterans to these opportunities across the province, which includes fishing, walking, archery, indoor skiing, football and much more.

Strong links have been established with Northern Ireland Cross Community Anglers, Ballymacash Rangers Football Club, Be Well, Be Safe Men’s Sheds, Belfast Exposed Photography, The Irish Football Association, Lisburn Cricket Club and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council among others to deliver and promote sports and outdoor opportunities for Veterans.

The navigator has supported several organisations with their projects which include let’s do Veterans’ support, project life and was instrumental in bringing together the Armed Forces Ahead of the Game project in partnership with the Irish Football Association.

They have actively engaged veterans through a sports and outdoor survey to identify the opportunities they wish to engage with – using this information the navigator has been able to signpost Veterans to opportunities, which are already available in their area or work with organisations to develop opportunities. 115 Veterans have engaged with the survey to date.

Veterans Support NI Trustee, Mr Andy Allen MBE said: “We were delighted to receive funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to deliver the navigator project in partnership with the Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office and Walking with the Wounded.

“Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which struck as the project rollout was in its infancy, the navigator proactively worked to assess the sports and outdoor opportunities available for Veterans throughout Northern Ireland.

“Overall, the Navigator project was a huge success, connecting more Veterans with sports and outdoor activities, helping to tackle social isolation, build friendships and establish support networks, whilst also being the catalyst for the creation of further navigator roles.”