Q&A with Jonathan Molloy, at the March Community Conversation
What’s SOA up to? Participants from clubs around the country found out by quizzing SOA Chair Jonathan Molloy at the first session in the 2026 Community Conversations series.
SOA is the sports governing body for orienteering in Scotland, and as such is answerable to sportscotland for development funding, meaning of course that we need to deliver on specific targets set by them. This makes SOA fundamentally different from most of the other Associations within the British Orienteering Federation. Nonetheless, there are shared goals to promote and develop orienteering as a thriving sport for all – particularly addressing the 20-40 age group gap and encouraging families.
SOA is also of course very much answerable to our constituent clubs and an important part of its work is to support clubs with training, resources, and coordination as well as practical delivery work by the development team.
The Impact Report for 2025 published in December gives a good overview of the SOA’s strategy and highlights some of practical activities delivered in 2025 by the SOA staff team and clubs. The statistics are testament to the great work done by members, showing an increase since 2024 in events and activities (up 9.5%) and membership (up 3%); thanks to all who contributed.
How does SOA work with BOF?
One question was about how SOA and BOF collaborate around supporting club development. Both provide resources for clubs to use (e.g., in developing marketing materials). Coordination would help avoid duplication as well as ensure that SOA resources are targeted on specific Scottish needs where different frameworks apply (e.g., around land access, safeguarding, and coaching qualifications). Whilst it
makes sense to align policies where possible, some adjustments inevitably need to be made. There isn’t a specific Scottish ‘rep’ on the BOF Board, and the SOA team is continuing to develop good collaborative relationships with BOF counter-parts.
Future Funding
A significant chunk of SOA development funding comes from government (via sportscotland), and there are always risks around the long-term outlook. However, SOA is also funded by membership fees, event levies and the biannual 6 Days – crucial money which can be used flexibly.
The recent Scottish Budget delivered very positive news for sport with extra money hopefully coming to SOA to support staffing. There may also be additional funding for sports-club Development Officers and a possible pot for ‘innovation’ – SOA has sent details around the Club Chairs, Secretaries and Treasurers. Please talk to the Development Officers about your club’s ideas. Normally, the SOA application periods for club development grants are January and September so get thinking –could you club benefit from coaching support, outreach work, taster sessions, permanent orienteering courses or other initiatives?
Opportunities and Risks for SOA?
A big opportunity currently relates to work the Development Officers are now delivering with all of the Scottish education training institutions, to engage with trainee teachers. A module is being developed that they can go on to deliver themselves. There is also work underway through the Active Schools programme in some areas (e.g., Edinburgh). This work will support awareness and understanding of orienteering and make it easier for clubs to reach out to new audiences.
A risk is the current need to fill Board vacancies, especially the Events Director role (formerly, Operations). This is key to good strategic planning for Scottish Orienteering as whole, to ensure we’re using the best of our areas for the bigger events. We also need a Board Secretary, and a new Safety Director when Tim
O’Donoghue completes his term this autumn. Can you help with any of these very worthwhile roles?? Please get in touch with Jonathan for an informal discussion.
We recognise similar challenges in filling the club-level roles so vital to the sustainability of orienteering in Scotland. The annual Club Network Day takes place in September, and this year we are actually planning two: one in the south and also one in the north. This will help bring clubs together as clusters and enable good conversations around how best to tackle the collective challenges we face.
Keep in Touch!
Many thanks to Jonathan and Nikki for convening the session, and to those who came along.
If you have questions or feedback for SOA, please do get in touch with Nikki
nikki@scottish-orienteering.org, Jonathan chair@scottish-orienteering.org or any of the SOA Staff or SOA Board.
There are regular updates on the staff team’s work on social media, the website and in the Monthly newsletter. There’s also the monthly ‘Club Despatches’ bulletin for club committees (contact Fran Britain fran@scottish-orienteering.org to be added).
Future Community Conversations
The next Community Conversation will be on 21 April, on marketing and outreach to wider audiences – further information to follow in due course. Visit the SOA Community Conversations webpage 2026 Community Conversations series to sign up. A Zoom link will be sent out nearer the time. Contact Nikki via nikki@scottish-orienteering.org for any queries.