Our former chair and keen Mountain Bike Orienteer, Keith Dawson, attended the 2025 World Masters Mountain Bike Orienteering Championship in Mercia where the IOF flag was handed over to him by Ursula Hausermann, the Mountain Trail Bike Orienteering commission chair. He was receiving the flag on behalf of the Scottish Orienteering Association as organiser of the 2026 World Master Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re highlighting the powerful impact of orienteering on mental well-being — backed by research and lived experience alike.

At Scottish Orienteering, we believe the benefits of our sport extend far beyond the finish line. While orienteering is well known for its physical and navigational challenges, a growing body of research suggests it may also offer a significant boost to mental health.

The SOA Board got together last Saturday for one of their regular Board meetings. As a group they meet in person 7 times a year both in person and online. At meetings they ensure the staff team are delivering in terms of the Scottish Orienteering Strategy and the SportScotland development targets with each of the Directors focussing on their focus area.

The fifth session in the SOA’s monthly online Community Conversations series this year took a deep dive into the future of Scotland’s flagship orienteering event — the Scottish 6 Days. This was a very timely discussion, as we look forward to Deeside 2025 whilst also needing to address the significant structural and demographic challenges to its sustainability, if events in 2027 and beyond are to continue successfully.

The April session in the SOA’s monthly online Community Conversations series brought together club members from across Scotland to talk about coaching education and support. The session was introduced by Suzanne Robins-Bird, the SOA’s Coaching & Volunteer officer, with an open forum for questions and ideas submitted in advance as well as during the session.

Back in October at the Junior Inter Area weekend, SOA asked for junior feedback. Since then we have been working to implement the juniors ideas and suggestions. So far we have taken forward the junior suggestions of a hang out place at events, training for all and more social opportunities. We are looking for feedback on how we have taken forward the juniors suggestions so far. Parents, please pass this form onto Juniors to fill in.

Link to google form for juniors to fill out : https://forms.gle/UAVdo226aYUijYY38

To celebrate national Volunteer Week we would like to once more invite you to let us know who your stalwarts and unsung heroes are. We all know that orienteering is a demanding sport for volunteers across so many areas, mapping, planning , organising , controlling, coaching, serving on committees and making that all essential cake. So put virtual pen to paper, fill in our form and nominate anyone in your clubs that you think deserves a mention in our social media posts.

The Jamie Stevenson Trophy is an annual inter-club competition for junior orienteers in Scotland. This year the competition will take place at The Hill of Alyth, on Sunday 15th June. This is a great event for juniors of all abilities to meet, socialise and compete against each other. There will be a parade, warm-up and challenges for all to enjoy as well as the orienteering. In 2024 approximately 110 juniors from 12 clubs took part.

This Easter, more than 2,600 orienteers from 140 clubs and 28 countries descended on South Yorkshire for the JK International Orienteering Festival 2025. But while elite competition and challenging terrain were certainly part of the draw, it was the inclusive, family-friendly atmosphere that truly defined the weekend.

Hosted by South Yorkshire Orienteers (SYO), the four-day event brought together seasoned veterans and enthusiastic first-timers in a celebration of adventure, community, and outdoor fun. For many Scottish orienteers, the JK 2025 was more than just a competition—it was a chance to spend time with family and friends, discover new places, and feel part of a community united by a shared love of orienteering and the great outdoors.

The next members’ monthly online Community Conversation is on Monday 5th May (7.30-8.30pm), and you can now sign up to attend by signing up here.

This time the subject will be the Future of the Scottish Six Days – the flagship Scottish Orienteering event. The Scottish 6 Days is a vital part of Scottish Orienteering, providing not just high class orienteering and international competition on our home turf but also a key source of revenue to support Scottish Orienteering and clubs and members.

However, we are facing some challenges. Over the last few years finding a club to be the central organising team has proved difficult. Deeside 2025 will be the 4th time in the last 6 events that we have had to pull together a central organising team from across Scotland and often the same volunteers are filling the same roles in successive events or the same faces are filling multiple roles. The same applies to the major day roles. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to find areas that have sufficient locations with a combination of great competition and parking for hundreds of cars.

We had a great conversation with club chairs in early April and there is still fantastic support for the 6 Days. But we need to urgently look at the delivery model. Some discussion questions include:

• Does the 6 Days concept still work or does it need to change?
• How could the 6 Days be formatted/structured/ staffed?
• What would help the clubs/members give it more support and commitment?

So please take this opportunity to share your thoughts. The session will be introduced and hosted by Dave Kershaw, Chair of the Scottish 6 Days company (which is wholly owned by and accountable to the Scottish Orienteering Association). Everyone is very welcome, and younger orienteers are particularly encouraged to contribute their perspectives and ideas.

To sign up, please register with the email address you will be using on the night by signing up here by 5pm on 5^th May 2025.  A link will be sent out to registered participants before the session.

If you can’t attend the session but would like to be involved in shaping future thinking for the Scottish 6 Days, a write-up and recording will be available via the Community Conversation Page. You can also contact Dave via chair@scottish6days.com or Richard Oxlade, the SOA Chair via president@scottish-orienteering.org.

For any queries on the Community Conversations sessions, contact Nikki Howard, COO, via nikki@scottish-orienteering.org.