New British Orienteering membership scheme

A new British Orienteering membership scheme was adopted at the 2012 AGM. The resolution passed stated that from 1 January 2013 British Orienteering will have a single tier of membership with two categories:

Senior – any member aged 21 or older on 31 December of the membership year
Junior – any member aged 20 or younger on 31 December of the membership year

The British Orienteering membership fees for 2013 will be:

Senior member – £5.00
Junior member – £2.00

To be a member of British Orienteering you will still need to be a member of an affiliated club and association and pay the appropriate club and association membership fee where they apply.

You will be able to renew your membership from 1 November 2012 for the 2013 membership year. This is later than in previous years when renewal commenced from the 1 September.

2013 Membership Scheme Frequently Asked Questions

Will British Orienteering still have a Local and National Level of Membership?

No, British Orienteering will only have one level of membership.

Will British Orienteering still have junior, senior, student, family and associate grades of membership?

No, British Orienteering will only offer senior or junior membership.

Will clubs still be able to have a family membership category and will the British Orienteering membership database be able to support this?

As previously stated Clubs and Associations can continue to offer a Family Membership Fee when the new British Orienteering membership scheme commences. Unfortunately the British Orienteering membership scheme will only be able to validate family memberships based on the British Orienteering Senior and Junior grades:

• Senior – any member aged 21 or older on 31 December of the membership year
• Junior – any member aged 20 or younger on 31 December of the membership year

Therefore Family memberships can contain:

• A minimum of one senior member
• A maximum of two senior members
• Any number of junior members

All family members must be resident at the same address.

Families can continue to join/renew British Orienteering as a ‘Family’ but the membership fee will be made up of the sum parts. E.g. A Family containing two senior and one junior members will be charged a British Orienteering Membership Fee of £12 (2 Senior members at £5 + 1 Junior member at £2). If the Club or Association offers a Family fee, the family will be charged the Club/Ass family fee on joining/renewing. Otherwise the Club and Association membership fee will be calculated in the same way as the British Orienteering Fee e.g. the sum parts.If each member of my family is now an individual member of British Orienteering, will each member of my household now receive separate communications from British Orienteering?

When communicating electronically by email, British Orienteering will send the correspondence to each member that has a registered email address in the database. When no member of the household has a registered email address or it is an item that needs to be sent via post e.g. Focus magazine then we will continue to send one copy of the correspondence to each household

Will the renewal period still be January to December?

Yes, the membership year remains as January to December with people being able to join or renew for the following year from the 1 November.

When can I renew my membership?

You can renew your membership from the 1 November 2012. This is a change from the 1 September to allow clubs more time to set their fees for the following year.

Will I receive a Renewal reminder?

Yes, British Orienteering will send you a renewal reminder in early November 2012 stating your membership fees for 2013. If our membership database contains an email address for your household, the renewal notice will be sent electronically, otherwise a reminder will be sent by post.

How can I renew my membership?

You can renew online via our website, over the phone by telephoning 01629 734042 or by post.

When will I receive a membership card?

The cost and necessity of membership cards has been discussed and we have decided to no longer issue cards, and will instead provide a letter confirming your membership and the relevant details. As with renewals, if our membership database contains an email address for your household, the membership confirmation will be sent electronically, otherwise a letter will be sent by post.

Will members be charged a different event entry fee?

As per Proposal 4 that was passed at the 2012 AGM, “Clubs are also free to choose whether or not to offer discounts on entry fees to members"Will British Orienteering still offer Direct Debit as a payment method?

Yes, the ability to pay membership by direct debit will be continued. However now the membership fees are so low there will no longer be a £1 discount for paying by direct debit. Notice of Direct Debit payments will be sent by email where feasible.

How can I check my contact details are up to date and/or provide you with an email address?

You can update your contact details and provide British Orienteering with an email address by logging into the members area of the website. Alternatively please contact the National Office on 01629 734042 or info@britishorienteering.org.uk

Further Information

If you have any questions regarding the membership scheme please contact the National Office:

Tel: 01629 734042

Email: info@britishorienteering.org.uk

On behalf of the British Orienteering Membership Team