Two major changes are coming on 1 January 2021, and in both these cases, it’s important athletes and support personnel are aware of the changes before the new year, so any unintentional mistakes and bans can be avoided.

Since being co-opted onto the Board in April and formally elected at the recent EGM, Ade has had a considerable impact on the areas of Operations. He has been a popular board member and one we are sorry to lose. He has been instrumental in establishing our Planner Advocate and Controller Advocate roles and working closely with SOA staff to ensure there have been opportunities for members to progress their skills during lockdown and beyond.

At the Scottish Orienteering Association we recognise it has been a challenging year for everyone! We are asking that you help us raise funds through the option of Gift Aid.

We are delighted to announce our new partnership with A4 Design & Print, based in Inverness. A4 Design & Print has become Scottish Orienteering official printing partner and will see generous rates for printing extended to clubs and for our major events in 2021 and beyond!

In the absence of any further Scottish Championship competitions this year, trophy holders are able to retain their trophies for longer than usual.

Due to a temporary issue with our website, we are aware a number of members have been unable to access documents and some resources. We are in the process of trying to fix this glitch. However we want to ensure everyone has access to the current SOA guidance document so the full text is available below. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

SportScotland have indicated that part of the Scottish Government’s wish to enable outdoor organised sport for under 18s is that coaches, both professional and voluntary, are allowed to cross Local Authority boundaries by more than 5 miles for coaching purposes so long as neither Local Authority is at Level 4.

SOA are pleased to publish our guidance across the new 5 levels of tiered local restrictions. With the support of sportscotland, we have approval for the continuation of local orienteering events and activities across Scotland with consideration and compliance with Scottish Government guidelines. We want to encourage all clubs and members to ‘Keep Active. Keep Local’.

Congratulations to all who have been selected to join the Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad (ScotJOS) for 2020/21.

Today, as part of Women and Girls in Sport week, the spotlight is being thrown on Heidi Ross and Marie Bernards, club captain and lead coach for Aberdeen University Orienteering Club.

Against all the odds, Aberdeen University Orienteering Club is going from strength to strength despite all the current restrictions on activities imposed by Covid-19. The club is being led this year by two inspiring girls, Heidi Ross (pictured right) and Marie Bernards (left), who’s enthusiasm and can-do attitude is bubbling over to inspire others. RDO North, Sarah Dunn, caught up with Heidi and Marie to find out more about their involvement in orienteering and love of sport.