Do you have a passion for coaching and developing a volunteer workforce?  

Our current Coaching and Volunteer Officer, Suzanne Robins Bird, is retiring in March and we are seeking a new Coaching and Volunteer Officer to take over the planning and delivery of our annual volunteer development programme for coaches, event officials, volunteers and club officials.

As you all look forward to 2026 and consider what new skills you would like to develop over the year ahead, we have drawn together a list of the current coaching and volunteer training opportunities for the year ahead. To avoid disappointment, get them in your diary now!

It has been a strong year for our regional squads, with regular East and West junior training sessions and re-establishing North area training. The regional squads offer valuable coaching opportunities for juniors at TD3 level and above. These sessions allow juniors to develop their skills while connecting with other juniors. Discover more about what our squads have been up to this year. 

The fixtures calendar for 2026 has been finalised and we are very grateful for all those clubs who have volunteered to host the key dates in the Scottish Orienteering calendar in 2026. We want to make sure you avoid disappointment so we have pulled them all together with the other important orienteering dates of the year ahead – get them in your diary now!

Having run the Scottish Inter Club Championship in its revised format for a few years, we listened to your feedback and acknowledge that in a busy calendar it was lost as an event. The remit of the Scottish Inter Club Championship is to help clubs foster a feeling of club comradery and contribution towards the success of a club within its membership. Having listened to your feedback, we have decided that it should take place alongside the CompassSport Cup/ Trophy qualification event in February each year and will act as an encouragement for clubs to get their members to participate even if they consider the CompassSport Final too far to travel or do not believe they have an opportunity to qualify.

Club coaching is a great way to introduce new participants to the sport we love or support existing members to be the best they can. Clubs are always seeking new coaches so if you have time to spare and expertise to share then come on a coaching course and find out how to get involved – it’s easier that you think!

As a means of sharing the progress of our sport we have prepared our first Annual Impact Report.  The impact report links the strategy set for the next four years by the board (2025-2029) to the reality of the work of our staff and clubs across Scotland. 

It has been a very busy year.  There are lots of great examples included here, and the case studies really help to bring it to life.  Finally, we hope you enjoy the many photos that show the breadth of our sport – orienteering truly spans the generations. 

Over the years the SOA Development Fund has supported Scottish clubs wishing to undertake projects with the aim of developing the sport. As we look to continue to build on the new Scottish Orienteering Strategy we are therefore focusing the current SOA Development funding on projects which support Lifelong Pathways for improvement which is one of our four strategic aims.  These Lifelong Pathways within orienteering relate to progression of orienteering skills as well as personal development opportunities for our volunteers.  

Following the success of Deeside 2025 this summer, Graham McIntyre of Interlopers was appointed as the Perthshire 2027 Scottish 6 Day Co-ordinator. Following the decision by the Scottish Orienteering 6 Day Event Company to ask the areas to take the lead in the organisation of the event, East Area are taking the lead on the central organisation for Perthshire 2027. Graham’s position is a volunteer role and we are very grateful for him volunteering to fulfil this role. Graham has been involved in the sport for many years both as an elite athlete and working to support performance athletes at British Orienteering before working outwith the sport but he continues to participate both as an athlete and as a very experienced event official.

Do you have a passion for Orienteering and want to see high quality training delivered for young adult athletes who are currently at TD 5 standard? 

We are looking for someone who can act as the coordinator for the Scottish Elite and Development Squad (SEDS).  The role of SEDS is to encourage the retention and development of young adults (20 to 39 years) within the sport by providing training in a sociable environment.