It has been a busy few weeks at the British Orienteering Development Conference.

Last week we were delighted to put on two more sessions.

On Monday, Sarah Dunn, from the Scottish Orienteering Association, focussed our attention on the forthcoming World Orienteering Championships which Edinburgh will be hosting in 2024. The workshop explored what clubs can do to prepare for WOC 2024 and capture the imagination of both members and the general public. The hope is that a successful event will create exciting opportunities and produce a legacy of new and renewed interest and participation.

Later in the week, Hannah Sprake, an analyst with Sports Marketing Surveys, presented findings from a recent survey on Women’s Sporting Journeys. Looking specifically at women in orienteering, Hannah provided an insight into why women enjoy and are involved in our sport and the reasons why women take a break from orienteering. The motivations of women were discussed which can help direct clubs in ways to encourage women to find a quicker return to the sport, for example, ensuring the social aspect of getting outdoors with friends and family.   

Our conference concludes this week. The penultimate session on Tuesday will be led by Peter Brooke. Peter is the Operations Manager at British Orienteering and he will deliver a session on Safeguarding. With all clubs requiring a Welfare Officer, this area is of great importance for us all. As well as informing you of the training requirements, Peter will chat with you about any recent updates. There will also be the opportunity to look at practical examples and discuss them as a group. Register here.

The Development Conference finishes as it began, looking at Engaging and Retaining Young People.  Fran Loots, from Scottish Orienteering Association (SOA), has kindly agreed to run this additional session to allow more of us to think about various ways in which clubs can engage and therefore be more likely to retain their juniors and younger members.

If you have missed a session or want to revisit a session you have already attended, may I remind you that all session recordings and supporting resources are available on the Training & Support – Webinar page of the British Orienteering Website to view in your own time.

British Orienteering would like to thank all those who have volunteered their time over the past month to present an extremely varied, helpful, and interesting programme of Development Conference sessions.

We also want to thank all of you who have supported the conference through your attendance. We hope these sessions have been helpful in focussing your thoughts on ways to support development within your club which will see positive outcomes during 2022 and in years to come.