Safe Adventure Programming for Outdoor Associations: paddling in Suomen Latu ry
Lehto, Emma (2022)
Lehto, Emma
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202204266069
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202204266069
Tiivistelmä
Recreational paddling has become a popular activity during the past years. Canoeing, kayaking and SUP-boarding are great ways to explore nature in a sustainable and easy manner. Suomen Latu – The Outdoor Association of Finland – wanted to be among the leading organizations to promote paddling as one option to experience outdoor life. Suomen Latu operates through its 184 member associations and over 90 000 individual members all over Finland.
Paddling had been chosen to be one of the new activities to be developed during the next strategy season of Suomen Latu. Since the paddling activities weren’t currently organized nor monitored by the head organization, they urgently needed to find out what kind of of paddling activities were run by the member associations and what were their challenges and needs. Based on this information a development plan for paddling in Suomen Latu was to be created.
To find out the status of paddling in member associations, an online questionnaire was planned and executed. Two online interviews were held to deepen the data. The survey showed a lack of skilled instructors that held back the growth of paddling. Aging, lowered motivation and difficulty to certify paddling competency were some of the main challenges. Safety documents were seen as a monster that makes leisurely paddling a serious business. Safety in outdoor services and in paddling were studied to highlight quality and professionalism in paddling activities on associational level. Good paddling activities are firstly fun and recreational, but Suomen Latu could make the impact deeper by offering also educational and developmental approaches to their processes.
To make the development plan to serve both Suomen Latu as the head organization and the member associations and the members, a three level adventure programming principle was applied. Individual level certified paddling competency, associational level concentrated on safe and meaningful programs and activities and the leadership level focused on defining the safety and competency requirements for paddling.
The status of paddling in Suomen Latu was defined. A development plan for the paddling activities was offered to Suomen Latu. The plan was followed by an adventure programming chart to help any association or club to develop their activities and to set achievable goals.
Paddling had been chosen to be one of the new activities to be developed during the next strategy season of Suomen Latu. Since the paddling activities weren’t currently organized nor monitored by the head organization, they urgently needed to find out what kind of of paddling activities were run by the member associations and what were their challenges and needs. Based on this information a development plan for paddling in Suomen Latu was to be created.
To find out the status of paddling in member associations, an online questionnaire was planned and executed. Two online interviews were held to deepen the data. The survey showed a lack of skilled instructors that held back the growth of paddling. Aging, lowered motivation and difficulty to certify paddling competency were some of the main challenges. Safety documents were seen as a monster that makes leisurely paddling a serious business. Safety in outdoor services and in paddling were studied to highlight quality and professionalism in paddling activities on associational level. Good paddling activities are firstly fun and recreational, but Suomen Latu could make the impact deeper by offering also educational and developmental approaches to their processes.
To make the development plan to serve both Suomen Latu as the head organization and the member associations and the members, a three level adventure programming principle was applied. Individual level certified paddling competency, associational level concentrated on safe and meaningful programs and activities and the leadership level focused on defining the safety and competency requirements for paddling.
The status of paddling in Suomen Latu was defined. A development plan for the paddling activities was offered to Suomen Latu. The plan was followed by an adventure programming chart to help any association or club to develop their activities and to set achievable goals.