British Orienteering Strengthens Insight Work Through New Partnerships

Over the past three months, we have been working with organisations and student groups to bring fresh perspectives into the sport. This has included the Practera Digital Marketing programme. Practera enables universities and employers to collaborate on real-world projects, giving students the opportunity to develop practical skills while supporting organisations with new thinking and insight. Through this programme, student teams explored how orienteering is currently presented and how it connects with different audiences, helping us better understand perception, communication, and how we convey the sport’s unique and exciting nature.

Alongside this, we are beginning a new collaboration with Manchester University’s Business Analysis & Strategic Management students. As one of the UK’s leading business schools, BASM brings together diverse, international student teams with strong analytical, strategic, and problem-solving skills. Through their programme, students apply academic frameworks to real organisational challenges, offering well-rounded and evidence-led perspectives.

Over the summer, a student team will work with British Orienteering to explore how we can strengthen our insight and impact capability as we look ahead to the next Sport England investment cycle (2027–2032). The project will focus on how we currently collect and use data, where there are gaps, and how we can build a clearer picture of participation and impact across the sport.

As a small National Governing Body, these partnerships provide valuable access to external expertise, fresh thinking, and dedicated resource. They allow us to challenge assumptions, and learn from perspectives beyond the sport, without placing additional pressure on internal capacity.

Together, this work forms part of a broader approach to being open to new ideas, learning from others, and building a stronger evidence base to support future decisions. It also links closely with wider conversations across the sport around how we evolve our events, engage new audiences, and ensure orienteering continues to feel relevant and accessible.

We look forward to sharing more as this work progresses and continuing to learn alongside our members and partners.