Club Affiliation
Join over 100 clubs across the UK and Northern Ireland and take advantage of the benefits of being a British Orienteering affiliated club including recognition, club support and insurance.
Club affiliation confirms that a club operates in accordance with the organisation’s standards for events, coaching, safeguarding, and governance and is registered and recognised within the national framework.
Affiliation with British Orienteering provides access to the structures, systems, and support required for the effective administration of an orienteering club, including guidance that supports club development, growth, and long‑term sustainability.
Important information for 2026 affiliations: Safety Liaison Officer
For the 2026 affiliation process, we are asking each club to nominate a point of contact who can receive safety-related information from British Orienteering and ensure it is shared appropriately within the club. If no contact is provided, the club Chair will be used as the default contact.
The focus for 2027 is essentially to establish a clear and reliable communications route between British Orienteering and each club. This will allow us to improve the flow of safety information, ensure relevant information reaches the right people and begin developing the role with clubs, rather than expecting clubs to appoint a formally trained Safety Officer immediately.
To reiterate, for this year’s affiliation, the club Safety Liaison Officer will simply receive Safety Updates, Safety Alerts, notifications of reported incidents from their club, and any other relevant communications from the Safety Advisory Group. There are no additional responsibilities or training requirements at this stage.
We will provide further information following the Board’s discussion in September and will continue to involve clubs as the approach develops.
Benefits of Affiliation
By being an affiliated club you can access a host of valuable resources:
Access to support from the British Orienteering team
Promotion of your events and activities via our website
Be covered for public liability insurance of up to £15 million for your club activities and events
Ability to add your event results to the national ranking list (not including local events)
Access to a comprehensive membership database to manage all your members details
The management and administration of all new and renewing members
Free DBS checks – for club volunteers (admin fee applies)
Access to our Annual Development Conference series of webinars to support and grow your club
Access to eLearning courses to support your volunteers at a reduced rate, £12 instead of £36
Access to member benefits via our discount partners
Access to modern, inclusive promotional materials to market your events.
National level agreements and support for land access
The affiliation renewal process
British Orienteering operates on a calendar year, with all affiliations running between January and December.
Click on the tabs below to learn more about our affiliation renewal process.
Clubs renew their affiliations annually between September and October. Clubs will receive notification that the renewal window is open and clubs can then complete the required steps via the British Orienteering website.
The cost for clubs to affiliate is £120.
*University clubs have a discounted rate of £25.
New clubs interested in affiliating to British Orienteering should contact info@britishorienteering.org.uk for the current criteria.
The cost for clubs to affiliate is £120.
The list below represents the minimum level of mandatory requirements for affiliation of a club.
The requirements seek to ensure the protection of the sport, members money through good governance processes, whilst not creating a disproportionate administrative burden.
Many of the requirements below are also reflected in the Code of Governance for Tier 1 organisations and requirements from associated bodies such as CPSU.
This was approved at the AGM 2021.
| Criteria |
1. | The club is properly constituted, has a written and submitted constitution or equivalent, has a clear purpose, |
2. | The club governing committee meets regularly , and decision-making is recorded. |
3. | a. The club has three different individuals appointed as its officers, in the following roles:
|
4. | The club has a designated Club Welfare Officer* |
5. | The club has a bank account |
6. | Annual accounts are prepared, scrutinised independently of the person responsible for finance (e.g. treasurer) and are made available to members to describe how money has been spent. |
7. | An Annual subscription to British Orienteering is paid |
8. | The Club is a member of, or affiliated to an Association |
9. | An annual return is sent to British Orienteering detailing: a. fees they are going to charge for club membership |
*The Club Welfare Officer would be preferable be a single role, however this role can be undertaken by the Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer upon approval from British Orienteering.
Clubs can seek a special exemption to the above requirements in exceptional circumstances.
Applications must be made via email to info@britishorienteering.org.uk.
All information must be updated on Database by the Chair or appointed committee member, who will have the required permissions.
Please ensure that you have submitted all necessary supporting evidence. We may request that you supply further information or documentation in support of your application.
All applications and supporting documentation will be provided with the strictest confidence.