BOF Annual Mapping Awards 2024: Bonington Trophy Winner – Bob Beresford (TVOC)

The Bonington Trophy was donated to British Orienteering by its Honorary President, Sir Chris Bonington, the world-famous mountaineer. It is awarded annually for the 'best contribution to mapping' which can cover a whole range of activities related to mapping.

Bob Beresford has been orienteering since 1992 with Thames Valley Orienteering Club (TVOC). Bob is one of TVOC’s premier mappers and is the spearhead of the TVOC mapping team, who, as amateurs, produce all TVOC’s high-quality maps.

The area of “Penn Wood, Common Wood and Penn Estate” was brought into regular use entirely through the efforts of Bob, who undertook both obtaining landowners’ permission, and production of the map, in 2010. The area has been regularly used for the Chiltern Challenge (Level B) and the Southern Nights Championships in 2017, as well as numerous Level C and D events. Throughout this time, Bob has updated the map using OCAD and LIDAR data.

Over the years, Bob has become one of the leading amateur mappers within TVOC, responsible for surveying and updating a large number of different maps for use at a variety of different TVOC events over this time:

• Oxford City urban map for OUOC.
• Oxford University Parks.
• Park Wood, Bradenham Beeches, The Coppice and Naphill Common (with Mark Thompson), Whiteleaf and Great Hampden (with Mark Thompson).
• Abingdon Urban (updated and extended).
• Thame Urban map (updated and extended).
• Deangarden, Keep Hill and Wycombe Abbey, including set-up for Permanent Orienteering Course (with Julian Birkinshaw).
• A number of local schools (with Merlyn Vyner).

Bob has coordinated obtaining the high-resolution LIDAR data available for many of TVOC’s areas from the Chilterns Conservation Board for their Beacons of the Past project in the Chilterns. Since then, Bob has championed major updates of TVOC’s areas using this LIDAR data.

In October 2023, Bob collapsed at an event, which was later diagnosed as cardiomyopathy. Bob was undeterred and switched his efforts to helping other mappers, and continued his mapping of urban areas using visualisation software, as well as providing leadership to TVOC’s mappers.

Specifically, during 2024, Bob became instrumental in assisting other TVOC mappers in utilising the LIDAR data for specific areas. This includes the creation of new georeferenced base maps, generation of all the key LIDAR products, georeferencing and perhaps rubber sheeting the old map, and even revising the positions of all ground features and identifying potential new ones. This is then used as the base for a major remap, including the vegetation by other club mappers.

Bob is Chair of the TVOC Mapping Group and has recently led a work group in developing a multi-year strategy for the use of all TVOC’s areas, ensuring that all maps are updated in a timely manner, and to a high standard. Bob is a champion of the use of the Legibility Checking tool in OCAD, ensuring our maps are suitable for older eyes. Bob is the go-to person for OCAD help and coordinates the club’s use of the latest versions of OCAD.

In summary, Bob is an invaluable member of TVOC. His overseeing of the club’s mapping activities, his introduction of LIDAR data to TVOC maps, and his heavy personal mapping load have helped to provide TVOC with a large number of very high-quality maps suitable for excellent orienteering competition. The recent health issue has not deterred Bob from making an outstanding contribution to the club’s mapping efforts. Indeed, this seems to have served only to increase his incredible commitment to mapping. This commitment should now be recognised.

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Huge congratulations must go to Bob on his outstanding contributions to mapping. 

Next up, we will be sharing details of our Chichester Trophy Winner 2024. Check our website or social media daily for the latest updates.