2025 President’s Medal awarded to Dave Kershaw

Every year at the SOA AGM, the President’s medal is awarded to an individual, group or club for their services to orienteering.

This year the President’s medal was awarded to Dave Kershaw who is a member of Edinburgh Southern Orienteering Club (ESOC).

Dave is standing down from the Scottish 6 Days Board after nearly 10 years as Chair and 3 years before that as Technical Director. The biennial 6 days is Scottish Orienteering’s blue riband event and the stewardship by Dave of this small board of directors has been critical to its success.

The 6 days is important to Scottish Orienteering in its own right but the board has taken on bigger challenges. In 2015 the 6 days was run in parallel with WOC where there were over 6000 competitors. In addition to being the Technical Director Dave also acted as technical coordinator.

The 6 Days board also provided oversight for the 2024 Sprint World Orienteering Championships which was delivered successfully despite being challenged by delays due to COVID, personnel changes and cost challenges. Dave’s leadership of the 6 Days board and the Steering Group was fundamental to its success. And in the background Dave has continued to contribute to the planning, organising and controlling of many key events such as the Scottish Championships.