As part of Volunteers’ Week we have been celebrating the many volunteers in the sport and all that you do. Scottish Orienteering provides a number of courses and workshops to try to assist members on the various volunteering pathways. We would like to take this opportunity to let volunteers know about existing courses and ask your opinions on the types of courses you would like to see provided in the future to support you and how you would like these to be delivered.
If you could take a moment to complete the Volunteers Questionnaire we would appreciate your input.
Congratulations to Morag McLuckie (Moravian Orienteering Club) and Katja Neumann (MAR Orienteering Club) who have both successfully completed the Scottish Certification in Coaching Orienteering (SCCO) Lead Coach qualification. They are the first candidates to successfully complete this new course which is the advanced level of the Scottish Orienteering Coach Education Pathway. Both agree that it was an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience, if a little demanding! We are delighted to have them as part of the Scottish Orienteering team of coaches and look forward to hearing more about their coaching experiences.
Massive congratulations to the Scottish orienteering community for coming together to host a hugely successful JK over the Easter weekend.
With all the complications of a closed road event in Perth city centre on a bank holiday, followed by the stunning but challenging locations of Rannoch Forest and Tullochroisk on successive days. The many months of preparation by our Planners, Controllers and Organisers were put to the test in the most demanding of circumstances as Storm Dave blew in bringing rain, hail and snow.
This in-person Event Safety and Welfare (ESW) workshop is aimed at all who orienteer – whether you are a coach, a competitor, an event official (planner or organiser) or helper. It is a suitable refresher for those who have attended the course before – there are some new materials!
Delivered in person in South West Scotland in late May, this 2.5 hour workshop will cover event safety and is a prerequisite for all event officials with SOA/BOF events and licenced coaches. We will firm up on a date/venue once we know how many people wish to attend and their availability.
This workshop is free to Scottish members.
Please complete the registration form asap – the sooner we know who needs to do it and their availability, the easier it is for us to schedule.
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!
A pair of low key Organiser workshops is being run over 2 online sessions, 7.30 – 8.45 on Thursday 22nd January and Thursday 26th February with short home/in club tasks to be completed in between.
This informal and accessible course is open to anyone who is just starting out in organising and will cover the basics of putting on a local (level D) event. The trainer will share their knowledge and guide you through the process step by step, with plenty of time for discussion and questions. There will be take-away resources to help you organise your first event successfully.
Within our clubs we know that many hands make light work and more often than not a problem shared is a problem halved. So each year we offer the opportunity for clubs to come together to meet other club volunteers, the SOA Board and staff and share the experiences from their clubs with others who may be a different size or area.
An initial, unassessed course for orienteers who are interested in getting involved in coaching. This fun 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:
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Run mostly online, with a practical club supported element, this course will be held over 4 sessions.
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Weeks 1, 2 & 4 – 1.5 hrs online weekday evenings.
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Dates are w/b 22nd Sep, 29th Sep & 13th Oct .
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Exact day will be decided in consultation with learners to take other commitments into consideration.
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Week 3 is a 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:
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Competent orienteers at least at TD3
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Age 16+ (open to negotiation for exceptional candidates)
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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 Friday 9th May 2025
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.
Nicola Melville – one of last year’s highlighted volunteers for all her efforts in running the FVO STARs
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.
short home/in club tasks to be completed in between.
