The third installment of the 2025 Community Conversation programme is on Monday 3rd March at 1930 and you can now sign up to attend.
The discussion will be once again be on the theme of development, but this time the focus will be on how to retain and progress current members. Mary Williams, the Development Director, will be chairing the discussion. This will be a great opportunity to share experience, and discuss successes, challenges, and ideas for practical support that SOA could usefully provide for clubs. Perhaps you’ve come across some great tools that have helped achieve positive results, or have gained some valuable learning from things you’ve tried that would be of interest to other clubs.
2024 saw Edinburgh hosting elite athletes from across the globe for the Sprint World Championships in an event that has been described by some as potentially being the best ever.
We are looking to ensure that the success of the World Championships is built upon through the new Scottish Orienteering 4 year strategy. This strategy represents a collective vision for the future of orienteering in Scotland which aims to support the vision of orienteering as a thriving sport for all generations through the key themes: changing perceptions, engaging experiences, lifelong pathways and foundations for success. An outline of the Scottish Orienteering Strategy can be found here.
The evolution of the Scottish Orienteering Strategy confirmed that clubs are the essential backbone of our sport. The implementation of this strategy will be a team effort across the Scottish orienteering community with everyone contributing and the SOA development focus being on connecting and supporting clubs. 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 a) support the expansion of the sport within the 20 to 40 age group b) continued development of orienteering participation following WOC 2024, and c) within clubs who saw a dramatic decline in membership as a result of Covid. We are asking clubs to come forward with any proposals which build on these themes.
To find out more about this year’s fund, head to the SOA Development Fund page where you will also find the link to the application form.
The deadline for applications is 21st March 2025.
Photos from FVO’s work with the Donaldson’s Trust that was funded by the 2024 SOA Development Fund.
ESOC’s ‘Events in a Box’ facilitated easy access into orienteering for newcomers near to where they live and was funded by the 2024 SOA Development Fund.
Our wonderful sport relies heavily on volunteers who have built up loads of experience over the years in a multitude of roles – coaching, officiating at events, serving on the committee, running SI, organising weekends away and generally helping out. All of you who do these jobs have a lot to pass onto new people coming into those roles. Working with experienced volunteers complements the training that formal courses provide and is a vital part in ensuring succession on the volunteer front.
An initial, unassessed course for orienteers who are interested in getting involved in coaching. This course will give you the basics and get you on the pathway to becoming a coach. Also useful for qualified coaches in need of a refresher.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Run mostly online, with a practical club supported element, this course will be held over 4 sessions.
Weeks 1, 2 & 4 – 1.5 hrs online weekday evenings. W/b 26th May, 2nd Jun and 16th Jun exact day tbd by popular vote.
Week 3 – club based self-evaluated practical session. Practical session by negotiation with club mentor.
COURSE CONTENT:
Discussion based learning around what to coach and how to coach orienteering; practical self and peer evaluated exercises.
PRE-REQUISITES:
Competent orienteers at least at TD3
Age 16+ ( open to negotiation for exceptional candidates)
You must be able to arrange a practical exercise with either a club coach or a local school/youth organisation within the time frame of the course, ideally between online sessions 2 & 3 but anytime before session 4. You will be supported in this process.
COST:
£50 per person (non-members £75)
OTHER NOTES:
This course is a pre-requisite for the SCCO Level 5: Club Coach course.
REGISTRATION
Book online through the Google form or contact Suzanne Robins-Bird with any questions. Closing date for applications is 12th May 2025
As the delayed white Christmas cold weather descended over Scotland a group of us hardy orienteers made our way up to Speyside for a chance to get in some top-quality terrain. The camp was joint for SEDS (Scottish Elite and Development Squad) and the British Orienteering squads to people travelled from all over the UK to join.
The camp was based out of Kincraig which provided a great location for the training areas and most importantly a warm hall to sleep in. The general plan of the camp each day was Wake up > Breakfast > Train > Café > Train > Tea > Sleep, which seemed like we were nailing the athlete lifestyle.
In an effort to assist clubs and individuals to plan training to qualify volunteers and keep them up to date, we have gradually been moving towards a more predictable training programme that will run on an annual cycle. Obviously this will have to incorporate a degree of flexibility to accommodate the events calendar, school and university holidays but on the whole we will try and run the same courses at more or less the same time every year.
Events can’t run without volunteers and some of those volunteering roles require a degree of expertise. Come along to one of our courses, learn new skills and help your club and the sport to put on those events that we all enjoy. Courses coming up in 2025 include:
The Scottish Elite and Development Squad (SEDS) helps Scottish-based orienteering athletes to reach their potential and promotes top quality training which is open to all athletes currently at TD5. It also offers an opportunity for ScotJOS leavers and orienteers aged between 18 – 39 to stay in the sport and develop their skills with a programme of coaching and social trips. The training programme is currently organised by SOA’s performance manager Graham Gristwood – grahamgristwood@scottish-orienteering.org.
As part of the ‘Increasing Participation’ project overseen by Clyde Gateway at Cuningar Loop Woodland Park in Glasgow, SOA held another set of 3 sessions in the October school holidays that targeted families looking for a fun, free activity for their kids. SOA are involved at the request of Clyde Gateway and SportScotland. SOA was one of four sport governing bodies asked to help Clyde Gateway in their project to increase local engagement with sport and wellbeing. SOA have tried to ensure that any activity undertaken links to the local clubs and we have been grateful over the years for the assistance of STAG (St Andrew’s Orienteering Club Glasgow) volunteers and for the use of the club map, without which these activities would not be possible.
Over the past few weeks Scottish Orienteering has been busy in Dundee. With the support of coach Matthew Clark (KFO) and volunteers from Tayside Orienteering Club (TAY) we have been running a series of family coaching sessions at Balgay Park, Dundee.
