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Results are in from yesterday's British Middle Distance Championships!
Access provisional results via this link or for a full breakdown, visit the AIRE website.
Well done to all winners and to everyone who took part this weekend!
*Updated 29/04/2024: Results from Sunday's Northern Championships organised by CLARO are now also available online via this link. Well done to all involved in hosting the event and everyone who took part.
Mapping is the one of the most rewarding and enjoyable roles. Not only does it improve your navigation skills, but it can also provide you with a different and new type of orienteering challenge.
The British Orienteering E-Learning Mapping Courses, Introduction to updating Forest Mapping and Introduction to Sprint and Urban Mapping , developed with the expertise of David Olivant (Nottinghamshire Orienteering Club) and the educational robustness of Pauline Olivant (Nottinghamshire Orienteering Club) .
Both courses are based around learners having access to either of the two most widely used mapping programs, Open Orienteering Mapper and OCAD.
We strongly advise that you seek an experienced mapper as a mentor to support you through your journey towards being a competent mapper.
Both courses are based on updating an existing map and rather than creating a new map from a previously unmapped area.
Course objectives
- To provide an introduction and basic understanding of the processes involved in how to update and amend an existing Orienteering map.
The course content is designed to only address the course objective rather than attempting to cover the full scope of Mapping. As we recognise that Mapping is a skill that takes much time and practice to hone.
The course should only take around 45- 60 mins to complete and for the whole of May is only £6.00
To access the course and find out more information about our other E-Learning courses, please visit the E-Learning homepage.
Interested in learning about our other E-Learning courses on offer? Visit the E-Learning homepage and access information on all the other resources we provide.
AIRE and CLARO look forward to seeing you all at the British Middle Championships this coming weekend.
You have entered in greater numbers than we anticipated, but we have adapted to cater for you all as best we can. Both Danefield and Kilnsey Moor is a lovely places in the Spring sunshine and we really hope the weather is kind so that you can enjoy it at its best. The technical woodland of Danefield is in sharp contrast to the fast open areas of Kilnsey. You should enjoy some great orienteering on both days. Str8 compasses is sponsoring a lot of prizes for the Northern Championships and the British Middles so run well and good luck.
Start times and final details are published, maps are printed and lots of equipment is ready to move. No controls are out yet, but we have been busy at Kilnsey as you may be able to see from a picture. There are a variety of crossing points on Kilnsey Moor – many of you will only encounter this one. There are no stiles to cross at Danefield you’ll be relieved to know.
We will be able to accommodate you all in the parking areas for both events, but as always, it would help if you car shared as much as possible. The Danefield field has remained in good condition throughout the winter, but as some rain has been forecast over the coming days we will have some tracking available. Kilnsey has the delight of hard standing in the quarry. We can’t promise that you will keep your feet dry, but at least cars should not get stuck in the mud as might have happened at some recent events. We’re hoping that’s true for Danefield. Definitely true for Kilnsey!
Anyone wanting to carry a club tent to Danefield, could reduce the distance to carry the tent by 800m by using the drop off point suggested in the event details. It would need to be a rapid drop-off as there are often no parking bays available. They are all quite uneven, and the road is very narrow. To get back to the parking field it is best to not attempt a 5 point turn but to drive in an anti-clockwise route with LH turns for 2.5k to get back to the parking field. This should take no morfme than 5 minutes.
Have a great weekend.
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Full details on the British Middle Championships are available via this link. Visit the CLARO website for more details regarding the Northern Championships. Good luck to everyone taking part!
Between the ages of 12 and 18, we lose approximately half of our junior orienteers. There is a significant drop off from the age of 14. Whilst a level of drop-off is to be expected in any sport during this turbulent time in young people’s lives this rapid decline is something we can’t ignore.
Individuals fall out of the sport at all levels but more so at the base of the pyramid. They may never make a British Orienteering talent squad or even a Junior Regional Squad but every single junior matters.
Some might argue that we must be patient and that those who drop out come back when they are older. We know that orienteering is a cross generation sport and often people will return to orienteering when they have had children themselves. Whilst this may be true, not everyone comes back. My view is let’s try to keep as many young orienteers engaged and having positive, social experiences of our sport so those coming back are a bonus, not a necessity.
Over the past few months, we have spent some time researching the reasons why we lose so many juniors. Feedback consistently identifies 3 key areas that we have to get right:
- Appropriate level of competition and opportunity
- Social connection to the sport
- Recognition and pride in the sport
In England, the development team have introduced the new British Orienteering Youth Away Days, courtesy of Sport England funding, as the first step in a wider ambition to stem the flow of young orienteers out of the sport.
The Youth Away Days are the first part of a wider plan to better engage juniors in the sport so they stay and enjoy orienteering throughout their lives. Our plans are based on our 4 C’s of youth retention:
Communication – youth driven and targeted communication to engage, encourage and inspire regular participation in orienteering
Community – helping our young people develop a strong social connection and sense of belonging in the sport
Competition – providing regular appropriate competition for young people at all stages of the orienteering participation continuum
Celebration – recognising achievement in the sport and generating a sense of pride
Much of this work can only be achieved at a local level. And there is good work being done by some across the country. A key focus for the England development team over the next few years will be to work with clubs to improve retention of members and regular participants with juniors a key part of this.
However, there are also several actions we can take on a more national basis to provide a better experience for our young orienteers. As a sport, we can provide a better experience for juniors by understanding their needs and meeting them at events and in competition. As well as providing social, developmental and rewarding experiences. Initial plans are being discussed and my hope is that the Youth Away days will give us more insight into the best ways to address this nationally.
Juniors attending the Youth Away Days will get the opportunity to improve their orienteering with the help of British Orienteering licensed coaches. They will spend time with other young orienteers developing their communication and teamwork skills, critical skills for them to integrate into our volunteer workforce. We will also be looking to them to provide a voice for junior orienteers in the plans that we develop.
If you would like to be involved in the first Youth Away Days in October as a coach or have a young orienteer keen for another opportunity to improve their orienteering then contact Tim Herod therod@britishorienteering.org.uk for more info.
Broader thoughts on youth retention? Let me know canthony@britishorienteering.org.uk.
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Tel: 01629 583037, Email: info@britishorienteering.org.uk
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