British Orienteering are happy to announce that the 2022 University Club of the Year Award goes to Glasgow Orienteering Club.

As well as celebrating the work University clubs do with regard to supporting the progression and development of members, this award looks at how clubs are looking to build through the management of volunteers and partnerships outside of the club.

Glasgow University Orienteering Club

In less than a year Glasgow University Orienteering has gained around 40 members, which is a huge achievement for any university orienteering club. The club has been very successful at attracting, engaging and retaining students who are new to orienteering. The vast majority of their membership is new to the sport.

To help develop the club into the future two members have undertaken their foundation coaching award. Another member has now started their Level 1. The club is now beginning to develop the skills of the newcomers who started orienteering back in September with the hope they will go on and become committee members in the future.

Glasgow University Orienteering Club has helped to tighten the Scottish University Orienteering club scene. Prior to Glasgow the scene, clubs were very separate. The only time in the year the university clubs would interact would be at Scottish Universities and BUCS. Hence, Glasgow took the initiative to invite Aberdeen and Stirling University orienteering club members to join their training camp. The three universities shared accommodation, post pre-event activities and meals over the weekend. To top it off on the Saturday night Glasgow invited Edinburgh along for a social. All four Scottish University clubs were in one room together playing party games!

Glasgow University has brought new energy to orienteering in Glasgow and in University Orienteering. They have managed to attract a wide range of students to start orienteering whilst building links with the community and trying to promote orienteering more widely than the university.

Many congratulations to the club on their achievements to date. You can learn more about Glasgow Orienteering Club on their Facebook.