Many thanks to Scott Fraser for taking on the SEDS Manager role and to re-establish a SEDS programme to offer opportunities to Scottish based athletes. Details have been released on the SHI selection policy and there is an expression of interest form embedded for aspiring athletes.

Thank you to everyone who attended our AGM on Friday 25th June and to those who participated through their submission of proxy votes in advance of the meeting.

Summary of outcomes:

• All Junior (£2), Student (£2) and Senior (£10) SOA membership fees will remain the same for 2022

• SOA event levies will remain the same for 2022, £1 per senior and £0.40 per junior for all events where the entry fee for seniors is >£10.

• Ben Hartman re-instated as Finance Director.

The Scottish Inter Club Championships took place as part of the Scottish Championships at Craig a Barns on 13^th June organised by ESOC.  Congratulations to the Scottish Inter Club Champions of 2021, Forth Valley Orienteers and for smaller clubs, Roxburgh Reivers.

As usual we received a number of very worthy nominations for the President’s medal which is awarded for services to Scottish Orienteering and as usual the award was a difficult decision as all the nominations would have been worthy recipients. This year, as President, I have great pleasure in awarding it to Tim O’Donoghue. Tim probably needs little introduction as an active member of the Scottish Orienteering community owing to the number of roles he fulfills as SOLWAY club chairman, Safety Director on the SOA board and tireless supporter of Scottish Orienteering. Up Until recently he, along with his wife Helen, also carried out the role of Coaching Coordinators on a voluntary basis for a number of years greatly assisting the SOA staff team.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as the Scottish 6 Days Board and the Scottish Orienteering Board met this week to consider the Scottish Government guidance and to make a decision on Lochaber 2021 event due to take place in early August. The important announcement is Lochaber is on! There has had to be provisional changes to the format of the event since no area in Scotland has moved to level zero at this time. We will not have confirmation of any further changes in a positive direction until mid-July, only 2 weeks out from the event. The SOA would like to thank the team of volunteers who have worked tirelessly over a significant period of time to make the event viable and ensure everything is in place for a fantastic 6 days of events in truly spectacular areas. We extend our thanks to the Scottish 6 Days Board for their partnership working and effective communication throughout the planning process. All participants should have received an email, so do check your inboxes and ensure you read all the detail carefully.

The full announcement from Scottish 6 Days is available here: https://www.scottish6days.com/news/june-update/

It was always going to be a ‘unique’ Scottish 6 Days experience this year due to Covid however we are delighted that we continue to move forwards and look forward to welcoming everyone to Lochaber in a socially distanced way!

• support network
• socially connected
• independence and new experiences
• moments of pride
• keeping on top of it all

Some really useful research on keeping teenage girls active in sport has just been published. It looks at what really matters to girls in sport. The report uncovered five important anchors which reflect what girls’ value most in their lives that impact who they will become. It then proposes principles to support keeping girls active in support including:

‘No judgement – take the pressure off performance and give freedom simply to play’ and

‘Invoke excitement – bring a sense of adventure and discovery’ .

Take a look and share any ideas your club has about attracting and keeping girls in our sport.

https://www.womeninsport.org/research-and-advice/our-publications/reframing-sport-for-teenage-girls-building-strong-foundations-for-their-futures/

It’s not too late to book a spot at the AGM this Friday 25th June starting at 7:30pm. For more details about signing up and what lies in store check out this link.

Sign up here

Should you be unable to attend the AGM please make sure you cast your vote by proxy, you can complete the online proxy voting form here

Full details of the published AGM booklet which outlines the proposals can be downloaded here

The finalised accounts from 2020 are here

Read More…

We wanted to make clubs aware of a few new funding streams which have become available which may be worth considering, these have been highlighted specifically for their simple application process. Thank you to our new East RDO, Lorna Simpson, for bringing these to our attention and sharing the information here on how to apply and what the grants will support. Building on Lorna’s experience and expertise in this area we hope to run a session in the Autumn on supporting clubs with funding applications and opportunities.

With thanks from ESOC for the sharing this touching obituary to Alastair Lessells who was known, admired and relied upon by many throughout the Scottish Orienteering community over many years. The SOA send our deepest condolences to Alastair’s family, in particular Katy, Ruth and Richard as well as all his friends in orienteering across the country.

Dave Kershaw (ESOC, Scottish 6 Days Chair) said

“Alastair was one of ESOC’s long-standing members and contributed a huge amount to the club, and to Scottish orienteering generally, both as a competitor and as an official over nearly 40 years. He was one of a large group of ‘baby boomers’ in Scottish Orienteering and all members of my age, in particular, will remember him fondly for his competitive spirit and friendly post-event discussions. He will be sadly missed when we get back to orienteering together again. Our thoughts are with Katy and the family.”