Newsletter Archive

Newsletter Archive

British Orienteering
Community Orienteering Coaches (East), Community Orienteering Coaches (North), Community Orienteering Coaches (West), Community Orienteering Coaches (South), Community Orienteering Coaches (Scotland/Northern Ireland/Wales)
Community Orienteering Newsletter
03/07/2012

Community Orienteering Update

This is the second edition of the quarterly ‘Community O’ newsletter. The aim is to provide those involved with the delivery of Community Orienteering with updates, good practice and session examples and activities. In this edition we feature some marketing tips for using email and newsletter communications - if you like the look of this newsletter it can be used as a template so please consider if you would like to give it a try!

The Community Orienteering programme continues to grow and the updated list can be found on the British Orienteering website http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/page/community_o

You will find attached to this newsletter a recommended Club Night Activity Registration Form. Please ensure that you collect information in this way from newcomers to your club night so that you have their relevant health and emergency contact information.

Finally please do continue to send through any thoughts and experiences to your Participation Manager that you think may benefit the rest of our clubs and coaches within the Community Orienteering programme. In addition to this we would also like to hear from you to recognise and reward coaches for new and innovative sessions.

Community Orienteering Leader Award

British Orienteering now has a new 1 day Community Orienteering Leadership Award. Primarily to upskill coaches qualified to a minimum of Level 1 standard in another sport the course is also suitable for existing Orienteers within Community Orienteering projects to support delivery of club night activities.

Please contact your regional Participation Manager for advice about setting up a course to support your club night/club.

 

Club Night and Coach Profile

With thanks to Rhys Roberts, Community Orienteering Coach (Buxton and MDOC – Hazel Grove)

Rhys is a recent graduate of the University of Derby (Buxton) in Sports Coaching & Development. He started Orienteering whilst at infant school and was introduced to the sport and local club (NOC) by his dad and sister.
 
Steve Vernon asked Rhys a number of questions to see how he got involved in Orienteering and about his coaching sessions and plans?
How did you get involved in coaching Orienteering?
 
I used to go to Bramcote every week before any Community Orienteering clubs began, and Pauline Olivant suggested getting involved in coaching. Within a very short space of time I completed the UKCC Level 1 Coaching Orienteering level award, helping out at the West Notts hub club and East Midlands Juniors weekends as well as moving to Buxton to study and coach at the Buxton club nights.
 
What do you enjoy most about coaching orienteering?
 
Everyone’s enthusiasm; even when someone returns from a course or event feeling defeated, they have a story to tell and have achieved something or gained experience.
 
What sort of coaching sessions do you like to run on club nights (indoor and outdoor)?
 
I like using SI units in a cardinal cones exercise which goes down well with orienteers of all abilities, I enjoy indoor games at club nights because they allow more opportunity to see if participants are struggling, but I like to create and adapt sessions too; I’ve recently been using a 10 X 5 metre Maze with hazard tape and stakes which has worked well.
 
How do you deal with a mixed ability group on club nights?
 
I find indoor games make this easier as you can spend more time with individuals who need it whilst still using advanced skills like visualisation, for example running a session on contours where athletes have to recreate maps using play-doh. Creating new challenges stimulates all abilities.
 
You do a lot of coaching in secondary schools. What type of sessions do you use to introduce them to Orienteering for the first time?
 
I try to use sessions and equipment that I think children would find interesting, such as SI kit, compasses and past event maps as well as use things like the maze to advertise something different which the rest of the school can see as they go home.

 

Featured Activity - Maze O

A Maze Challenge is a simple yet effective way to get people running around and having fun, developing basic map skills and getting a taste of orienteering. It can be organized in a small space with a minimum of resources and people of all ages and abilities can have a go. Participants are given a map of a maze that you have constructed with some kind of barrier and have to navigate around a specified course as quickly as possible.

A PDF is attached to this newsletter with more information if you would like to know more.

 

Top tips for email newsletters

Sending an email newsletter can encourage people to keep returning to your sessions by reminding them of all the exciting activities you have got going on. Here are a few tips on starting up a newsletter.

  • Build a mailing list: Collect email addresses from everybody that comes to your sessions or introductory events, with their permission. This just means that you need to include a tick box – as per the club night standard registration form – so that they can opt out of the mailing list.
  • Design a simple format: keep it simple and easy to download – remember that pictures may be blocked by your recipients’ email programs. You could use a British Orienteering footer or template (ask your Participation Manager), design your own using a free tool such as www.mailchimp.com, or even just use a plain email. The format isn’t as important as the content.
  • Add content that your participants want to read: details of your sessions, reports from club activities, links to other events, sales at local shops, reviews of running gear, coaching tips… get creative! Keep it short with bite-size chunks of text.
  • Put content highlights into your subject line: to encourage people to read your email, put snippets into the title. Which are you more likely to open, ‘Club night newsletter June 2012’ or ‘Club night: event at Upton Park; sign up for relay team; photos from BBQ’?
  • Keep your recipients happy: don’t send big files, send newsletters too often, or give away everybody’s email address (do put addresses in the ‘BCC’ box). Stay on the right side of the law by offering to let recipients opt out of your mailing list and including your contact details. Free tools such as www.mailchimp.commanage your mailing list and opt-outs for you – if you’re keeping your recipients happy, they are more likely to read your newsletters and less likely to report you as spam!

 

Activity Registration and Participation Data

REMINDER– Please continue to complete your Community Orienteering Activity Registration and Participation Data as it not only vital for insurance purposes but also for our continued Sport England Funding. The deadline for the April - June data is Fri 13th July 2012. All data needs to be inputted onto the British Orienteering database as well as submitting the quarterly registers to your participation manager. All clubs submitting their COMPLETE data before the deadline will be rewarded with 100 our new generic ‘collector cards’.

 

The Participation Team

Please don't hesitate to contact your regions Participation Manager's for advice about Community Orienteering and Increasing Participation in your area.

East - Natalie Shaw

Tel: 07891 091662

nshaw@britishorienteering.org.uk

 

North - Steve Vernon

Tel: 07891 091613

svernon@britishorienteering.org.uk

 

South - Richard Barrett

Tel: 07971 091579

rbarrett@britishorienteering.org.uk

 

South - Caroline Gay

Tel: 07891 091635

cgay@britishorienteering.org.uk

 

Development Manager - Ed Nicholas

Tel: 07891 091512

enicholas@britishorienteering.org.uk

 

 

Further Information

For further information about the Development Programme and British Orienteering please visit www.britishorienteering.org.uk. In particular the Development pages.

You can opt out of receiving this newsletter by emailing info@britishorienteering.org.uk

'More People, More Places, More Podiums'

For further information about orienteering please visit www.britishorienteering.org.uk


Scholes Mill, Old Coach Road, Tansley, Matlock, DE4 5FY
Tel: 01629 583037, Email: info@britishorienteering.org.uk
Registered in England & Wales No:1606472
Partners