ORN to appoint new Chair to succeed Fiona Groves
ORN today announce that ORN Executive Committee members Bridgette Hall (Head of Recreation and Visitor Experience for Forestry England) and Pippa Langford (Principal Specialist Recreation and Access for Natural England) will temporarily become Acting Joint Chairs of ORN following the stepping down of Fiona Groves. With reemerging uncertainty around regional lockdowns, the Executive Committee decided that now is the time for ORN to have and provide strong leadership to the outdoor recreation sector.
Bridgette has been a long serving member of the ORN Executive Committee, and while Pippa is a more recent addition to the Committee, she has made a huge impact – particularly since the challenges of COVID-19. ORN will seek to appoint a new Chair in the Spring and will request recommendations regarding potential candidates from our members.
Pippa Langford said:
“Stepping into the Acting Joint Chair role is a challenge, but I’m fortunate that I’ve been on the Executive Committee for a while and I know many ORN members from my day job at Natural England as Principal Specialist Recreation and Access. I’ve seen lots of feedback that you really appreciate the opportunity to update your knowledge and network with leading thinkers and practitioners, so my aim is for the Network to continue to develop and grow, meeting your needs, so that ultimately more people get to enjoy the outdoors.
If we come together there is nothing that we can’t do (Biden) could almost be the motto of the Outdoor Recreation Network. In a year that has seen some people getting outdoors for the first time, or just more often, ORN has provided a vital service to its members. The surge in visitors, furloughing of some staff, drop in income and the need to be COVID secure have been huge challenges, but throughout 2020 ORN members had the benefit of sharing expertise, getting updates on the latest data and providing insights into Governments to help shape policy. Learning from this, the ORN Executive and Secretariat are looking ahead to next year’s challenges and opportunities, so I think you’ll find the webinars and conferences in 2021 a great resource.”
Bridgette Hall said:
“As Head of Recreation & Visitor Experience for Forestry England I am delighted to share the Chair role with Pippa Langford from Natural England. The ORN has been a vital source of news, inspiration, best practice and support during the whole of this year especially during the past seven months. Finding a new Chair will be our priority over the winter, so I would encourage anyone who would like be at the forefront of our network, the outdoor recreation sector and all that we do, to take on this challenge to contact us for an informal discussion.”
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