Boat/Outdoor Pursuits Project

Potential may exist to secure a boat which requires refurbishment. If a boat can be secured, it may be possible to provide youth development, outdoor pursuits and corporate team building services. The project could be operated as per the Ocean Youth Trust model in Carrickfergus

Income Generating Mechanism

The project would allow youth groups, schools, community groups, statutory and private sector companies to lease the boat at a commercial or reduced rate.

Other income streams could be investigated with regard to the training and employment of maintenance staff, outdoor pursuits/sailing supervisors and other project workers. According to the NICVA (1998) ‘State of the Sector’ report, there are 5,000 community and economic development groups in Northern Ireland.

The geographical spread of the groups is unclear however, the scale of the sector as a whole in Northern Ireland suggests that there is a sizeable target market for the project.

While the size of the community sector is significant, it is extremely uneven in terms of development, activity, financial resources and participation levels.

The most lucrative opportunities for the proposed project lies with those community groups whose work is linked to sporting activities, those who have a large membership and those who are well established and more likely to have access to financial resources. Outdoor activities such as the boat project could be complementary to a number of initiatives and programmes operated by youth organisations.

Like the community market, the youth market is also characterised by uneven development characteristics. Some youth groups are extremely proactive, and organise trips and activities for their members on a regular basis, whilst for others, a weekend at an activity centre would be an annual event. Limitations such as financial resources and adult volunteers have a major impact on the frequency with which such events are organised by youth groups.

According to the Youth Council for Northern Ireland, there are 3,500 youth clubs and organisations registered with the various Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland. According to the Northern Ireland Department of Education (1999) there are 1,200 schools in Northern Ireland, with a total pupil number of 343,530. While the size of the commercial and business market appears considerable in comparison to other sectors, certain factors do however limit the market.

The organisation of staff development days, team building activities, etc. appear to be invariably linked to the size of the organisation. Larger organisations, in terms of numbers of employees represent the most likely users of outdoor/sailing activities and other similar facilities. The boat project could therefore primarily target businesses with 50 employees or more. This represents 720 businesses in Northern Ireland.