Listening to the Future: Juniors provide their perspective
Every year at the Junior Inter Areas, the SOA team takes the opportunity to update the juniors on the efforts which have been taken to try and improve their experience and listen to the juniors views on what further steps they would like to see. The SOA Lead Welfare Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Nikki Howard, led the discussion with Judy Bell, our Coaching and Volunteer Officer and Heidi Ross, one of our Development Officers.
As part of the discussion the opportunity is taken to highlight safeguarding and it importance to the sport. We outline the aim of the sport is to ensure there is a safe and fun environment within which everyone can enjoy orienteering to the full. We ensure that everyone knows who to speak to, how to raise concerns and where to find more information and resources.
Then it is down to reporting to the juniors on steps we have taken after their feedback at the 2025 Junior Inter Areas. In 2025 the overarching theme was make orienteering more social for the juniors of all ages. Since that feedback we reported that the SOA has made the following efforts to achieve that goal:-
- At the 2026 Scottish Championships a range of activities were provided for the juniors in the Junior Tent from individual puzzles/ activities through to a game of rounders lead by some of our young leaders for the older juniors and a parachute for the younger audience which help the grandparents entertain their wards! Find out more – 2026 Scottish Championships extravaganza – Individuals and Relays – delivered by West Area
- Efforts have been made to support the delivery of more junior training sessions. Training sessions have been held for juniors in all the regions – WEST, EAST and NORTH – in the last year.
- A Junior Newsletter has been created with the first issue being distributed at the Jamie Stevenson Trophy and the next issue distributed at the Junior Inter Areas. Find out more on the Junior Newsletters Page
- After the request for more prizes – the Junior Awards were launched and presented at the Junior Inter Areas with prizes awarded for the Junior Planner, Junior Organiser, Junior IT support, Junior Mapper as well as existing Junior Orienteer of the Year. More details in the article Recognising Junior Volunteers: Volunteer Awards and Young Orienteer of the Year
In order to raise awareness of the various opportunities to expand their volunteer skills, Judy Bell explained the courses the SOA has on offer and how the juniors could use these skills not only to have fun but also to use for Duke of Edinburgh schemes, volunteering awards and the benefits for any junior’s UCAS applications or CVs. More information can be found on the Courses and Learning Opportunities page.
All this before we opened the floor up to the juniors to provide their feedback on how the social opportunities for juniors could be improved, what they would like to see and when followed by feedback on their thoughts on the junior newsletter and how it could be improved. Take aways from the discussion were requests for more social opportunities and overnight trips with BBQs and ceilidhs as notable suggestions. In terms of the junior newsletter the juniors agreed they liked the format but wanted to see more games and for us to make sure the upcoming activities were highlighted. We will take this feedback forward and look froward to reporting what we have managed to deliver next year!