We are looking to recruit a Squad Manager for the Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad (ScotJOS). The person will work alongside Roger Goddard, and will replace Judy Bell, who has been a stalwart of the ScotJOS coaching team for many years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Judy for all her hard work and acknowledge the enormous contribution she has made to ScotJOS and the development of our Scottish Juniors.

After a summer break we resume our 2026 Community Conversations series. In September, Monday 7th September 7.30pm, we are focussing on Permanent Orienteering Courses and the learnings from clubs which could ensure they have an impact.

British Orienteering have established a youth voice programme and are seeking juniors from a variety of backgrounds and experience of orienteering to share their views and help improve orienteering. It would be great to see voices representing the Scottish experience. More information can be found here on British Orienteering Youth Voices Programme.

This week will have seen many of our 14 and 16 age class Scottish juniors away exploring the delights of Lagganlia or Deeside with the Junior Regional Orienteering Squads (JROS) with older juniors getting ready to take part in camps in Czechia, Stockholm and Gothenburg.

For juniors it is a week of intensive training in some really interesting terrain combined with games and lots of other fun! For parents they get a week of peace followed by the return of a very tired but contented kid who might after quite a lot of sleep tell them tales of adventures and new friends but brings with them what seems like a month’s supply of dirty orienteering and other kit.

We know that the right person for the Senior Development post is out there but feedback tells us we should have made the application deadline later to let everyone enjoy their summer orienteering experiences! We have therefore extended the deadline to 31st August for applications.

It is now just a 6 weeks until the World Masters Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships in Moray. There are 4 days of competition following the registration day on Tuesday 8^th September.

The Summer of Sport 2026 is a major programme led by sportscotland, designed to encourage children and young people across Scotland to participate in sport and physical activity. 

The SOA Financial Statements for the year to 31 December 2025 have now been finalised and approved, and are attached. A finance report to accompany these accounts will be included in the AGM papers.

We are notifying all members of our intended Annual General Meeting date of Monday 14th September 2026. The Annual General Meeting will be held online at 7pm.  There will be a proxy vote option for those unable to attend. 

Today marks exactly a month until the next East Area training session which will take place at Heriot Watt University on the 22nd August. From the start of this year we have changed the format of East Area training, making the training a full day with different training groups from TD1-TD5 including an adults groups. 

Each year SOA organises a day for club members from across Scotland to come together to share experiences and ideas around developing orienteering. These days are very much for everyone (not just committee members) – if you’re interested in orienteering and supporting your club, then please do come along.

This year we will be running two in-person Club Networking days this year, to widen opportunities for club members across Scotland to participate. 

• Saturday 12th September – Dunblane (Braeport Centre)
• Saturday 19th September – Boat of Garten (Community Hall)

Anyone is very welcome to attend either one (or both!)