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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!
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!
This scheme has been successfully designed by British Orienteering to support outdoor education centres to deliver a positive first experience of orienteering to their customers. As part of British Orienteering’s commitment to supporting the outdoor industry, carefully selected advisors work in partnership with outdoor centre staff to deliver a positive first experience of orienteering to their customers.
There a number of processes that the outdoor education centres have to go through before they become recognised (see diagram 1 below). Recognised Centre Status customers the assurance of a good orienteering experience.
From the outdoor centre’s perspective, being part of the British Orienteering Recognised Centre scheme not only allows them to promote their recognised centre status on all of their publicity and promotional materials and websites but they can stand out from other centres by being able to demonstrate a positive first experience. This allows centres who are part of the scheme to promote added value to their customers resulting in increased bookings at their centre and provide excellent customer satisfaction to those who wish to try orienteering for the first time or expand on their existing skills. British Orienteering believes from talking to the outdoor centres who have already become part of the scheme that being part of the scheme helps to give them the extra edge over their competitor centres and ultimately increasing bookings and sales.
Why we used a British Orienteering Recognised Centre for a training base for our club?
British Orienteering’s accredited Recognised Centres are great places to be used by members, clubs and training camps for all their training needs. They are a great way for coaches from any club or squad to use as a venue and provide comfortable accommodation and facilities.
South Midlands Orienteering Club had 16 people from their club who wanted a weekend of coaching focused on contours at Plas y Brenin – the National Mountain Sports Centre. Plas y Brenin had been successful in achieving British Orienteering Recognised Centre status and met all the criteria necessary to become an accredited centre.
The group from South Midlands Orienteering Club was hosted by Plas y Brenin, with Orienteering Coach Helena Burrows facilitating the weekend. The first day of coaching took place on Braich Bryn Engan, and the second at Newborough on the Isle of Anglesey.
Jennie Taylor, Communications Officer caught up with Helena Burrows, Qualified Orienteering Coach and asked her from a coach’s point of view what she thought the benefits were of taking a group away to a recognised centre for coaching sessions?
“As a club coach taking a group away to a British Orienteering accredited Recognised Centre for coaching has several benefits.
Firstly, there is always a good map of the site offering potential for coaching different aspects in a safe environment away from traffic.
Secondly, centres will already have a range of mapped activity resources available for younger or less experienced orienteers.
Thirdly, for a residential visit, the group is together in the evening’s which provides an ideal opportunity for reviewing and developing the coaching that has been done during the day.
Fourthly, there is potential access to other activities, for example, canoeing, climbing, high ropes, problem-solving and more with centre qualified staff either to use for other family members or for the group as a break from orienteering sessions.
And last but definitely not least, there is access to different types of mapped terrain not available in the club’s locality which will allow the development of higher level skills. However, permissions for use and access may need to be sought from the local club through their contacts.”
Outdoor Centres are supported by British Orienteering advisors who work with them to meet a set of criteria demonstrating that the centres provide a positive first experience of orienteering.
British Orienteering has 13 outdoor education centres who have successfully achieved accreditation to the scheme and there are 10 more centres currently going through the process. Hopefully, they will soon be successful in achieving the requirements set by British Orienteering and meet the criteria to qualify and be part of the scheme.
13 Outdoor Education Centres have successfully achieved accreditation to the scheme and include:
Arran Outdoor Centre (Isle of Arran, West Coast of Scotland),
Cliffe House Outdoor Study and Conference Centre (Kirklees Council, Shepley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire)
Dolphin House Activity Centre (Culzean Castle and Country Park, Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland)
East Lothian Council Outdoor Learning Service (Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland)
The Frank Chapman Centre (Bewdley, Worcestershire)
Hill End Centre (Farmoor, Oxford)
Plas y Brenin – National Mountain Centre (Conwy, Wales)
Entrust Standon Bowers Outdoor Centre (Standon, Stafford)
JCA Condover Hall Activity Centre (Shrewsbury, Shropshire)
Kingswood – Colomendy (Denbighshire, North Wales)
Kingswood Dearne Valley (Denaby, Conisbrough, South Yorkshire)
Kingswood Overstrand Hall (Norfolk)
Kingswood West Runton (Cromer, Norfolk)
To find out more about British Orienteering Accredited Recognised Centres to take your club or group to can be found here.
Four recent successes of the Recognised Centres include:
1. East Lothian Council Outdoor Learning Service and Dolphin House Activity Centre have both been used by local schools for organising orienteering competitions.
2. Cliffe House Outdoor Study and Conference Centre have group bookings and will be hosting a range of Teaching Orienteering and Coaching Courses at their centre with many groups booked in and using the accommodation at the centre at the end of November.
3. Hill End Centre, Arran Outdoor Centre, Dolphin House Activity Centre, East Lothian Council Outdoor Learning Service have all had group bookings over the last two months and have hosted a range of orienteering courses which has brought in new revenue streams to their centres.
4. Kingswood Colomendy have both recently hosted Youth Orienteering Camps at their outdoor centres with school groups using the grounds for orienteering activities which has also ensured additional income streams from schools using the accommodation and facilities.
More information about British Orienteering’s Recognised Centre scheme can be found here.
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Tel: 01629 583037, Email: info@britishorienteering.org.uk
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