In February, SOA awarded development funding to Roxburgh Reivers to support an innovative club development project.
The project stood out as an excellent example of how relatively small amounts of targeted funding can help clubs address local challenges, trial new ideas and create long-term benefits for their members and communities.
We wanted to highlight the project, not only to showcase the work of Roxburgh Reivers, but also to encourage other clubs to think about how they could adapt similar ideas in their own areas.
The SOA Development Fund will reopen for applications in September, and we are encouraging all clubs to begin thinking about potential projects and proposals ahead of time.
This year’s focus is clear: we want to support initiatives that help grow and expand our sport amongst adults aged 20-40.
June’s Community Conversation brought together members from across Scottish clubs to share thoughts on supporting and encouraging newcomer families. This theme follows on from the May discussion on creating welcoming environments at events. (May Community Conversation) Involving parents is usually key to retaining and developing new juniors, and supporting a balanced orienteering demographic. How can we best support parents to get involved in our sport?
Well it’s that time of year again and World Orienteering Week will soon be upon us. Any event between 16th and 24th of May can be registered on the WOW website.
Throughout March, Scottish Orienteering has been excited to host three successful adult beginner “Learn to Orienteer” coaching days in Inverness, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen. These sessions were designed to introduce newcomers to the sport in a friendly, supportive environment, giving them the skills and confidence to go on and attend their first orienteering event.
Each day brought together a diverse group of participants, many trying orienteering for the very first time. From runners and walkers to complete beginners looking for a new outdoor activity, the sessions highlighted just how accessible and inclusive orienteering can be.
For many people, joining an orienteering club is the moment when an occasional event participant becomes part of the community. Helping new members feel confident, informed and included at this stage can make a huge difference to long-term retention and increase the likelihood of adoption of the sport
One approach being used by several clubs is newcomer or welcome packs — a collection of information and resources given to new members to help them understand how the club and the sport works and how to get the most from it. These might be physical packs, or a collection of information sent digitally, but the most success comes from personal follow-up.
This article aims to share examples of what clubs are already doing to highlight useful ideas that other clubs may decide to adopt, and also identify areas where support or shared resources from SOA could help. Please get in touch if you have any ideas for resources that we may be able to help with.
Thanks to those clubs that have provided information on their current practices, detailed below.
We are pleased to announce the latest round of funding awards made through the SOA Development Fund. This fund is designed to provide financial support to projects that contribute to the development of the sport and fit within the remit of the SportScotland agreed development objectives for the sport. This time around, we asked clubs to propose 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. We wanted projects that focused on development of all athletes on either the performance, recreational or volunteer pathways, or continued to focus on the recruitment and retention of young adults aged 18-40.
Congratulations to the clubs and areas that have received awards: GRAMP, INVOC, North Area regional squad and RR.
We are excited to announce a new series of Adult Beginner Coaching Days taking place throughout March in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness.
These sessions are part of a wider outreach project aiming to introduce more young adults to the sport whilst raising general awareness across Scotland. Whether someone has never held a map before or has only tried a local event once, these sessions will provide a friendly and supportive introduction to the skills needed to enjoy orienteering independently.
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!
Scottish Orienteering recently delivered a practical orienteering taster session for secondary PE teaching students at the University of Stirling, giving future teachers the chance to experience how orienteering can be introduced simply and effectively in schools. We had some extra fun as it was the last day before the holidays so everyone arrived in festive attire!
A total of 24 students took part in the two-hour session, which was led by Louise Adams (SOA Lead Development Officer), with support from STUOC President Laura Brown. The session focused on easy-to-learn, easy-to-set-up activities that are well suited to school environments and adaptable for different ages and abilities.
Prize winners from our competitive game of Musical-O!Read More…
