Issue 5 - Spring 2009

In December we received the fantastic news from This is approximately a 10 minute drive UK Sport and Sport England regarding our funding from the JK Day 2 competition and parking is for 2009-2013. UK Sport has awarded British available in front of the hotel. £500K and Sport England has awarded £2,275,000 across the four year period. We will be As well as the standard Annual General Meeting continuing to support Northern Ireland, Scotland and business, three directors will be appointed. There Wales in trying to gain or maintain their funding so will also be a session with World Champion Jon that the development of orienteering can be UK wide. Duncan who will be talking and answering questions about the 2008 World Championship I would also like to draw your attention to the and the build up to the amazing Gold Medal winning British Orienteering Annual General Meeting which performance. We look forward to seeing you at the will be held at The Blue Bell Hotel, Market Place, AGM. Belford, Northumberland, NE70 7NE (grid reference Graham Gristwood, Jon Duncan NU108339) at 17:00 onO Saturday 11th April 2009. Caroline Povey, Marketing Manager and Jamie Stevenson West Cumberland OC is named Club of the Year 2008

A panel from Development Committee voted to select the British Orienteering we manage to compare all ages and abilities in senior and junior competitions. Club of the Year and in a close contest West Cumberland OC is the winning We award achievement badges from entry with Mar OC and Leicestershire OC as runners up. All three clubs three schemes to our junior members are working hard to train their volunteer workforceAnyone thatand wouldto engage like a with copy the of the ‘Cluband Activity present Guide’ these should at the emailclub AGM the and Participation Manager - Steve Vernon at [email protected] in November. The regular local communities by putting on an almost explainingweekly programme how your club of activities. would benefit fromjunior its training use. sessions generate a healthy Presentations to all three clubs will be made at the AGM on the 11th April. social environment in which youngsters can enjoy participating in their sport with their peers. Here is one answer from each club to one Last year WCOC introduced indoor activity of the nine questions which were asked on nights (Orient8) comprising physical and We organised over 45 events in 2008 from the application form: mental fun activities organised and run by small training sessions to larger district qualified coaches. It provides opportunity events (as well as supplying several Q: Please give examples of the for established orienteers to sharpen officials for the British Championships opportunities your club has created for their skills while non-orienteering family near Forres in April 2008). We encourage its volunteers, coaches, participants members take part in the exercises and members to compete in club colours, and (e.g. players/athletes) and non- quizzes. subsidise the cost of this for everyone. participants (e.g. spectators, parents). The club actively strengthens the volunteer Q: What have been your club’s key WCOC: Last year, WCOC organised 13 skill sets with courses for coaches, achievements in the last 12 months? schools’ league events (including a final), controllers and mappers. This year we that included 20 primary and 8 secondary have organised the entire membership LEI: Gaining Club Mark in March 2008. schools providing competition for around into three groups, rotating the organisation 450 pupils. This was a successful feeder duties and encouraging all to be involved. Selection as County Schools focus sport into our junior structure which featured six (one of 8) with the first county orienteering junior training sessions last year. As well Mar OC: We put on many events, final to be held in 2009, this is expected to as providing valuable experience for our averaging four per month that attract engage half of the Leicestershire schools. four new level 2 coaches, we were able to consistently high numbers of club We expect between 200 children in year field two junior teams in the Peter Palmer members and newcomers. We encourage five to eight. We have mapped 14 schools relays and finish second in the Yvette club members to gain qualifications as to sprint standards. Baker trophy final taking over 30 juniors. event officials (organisers, planners and This also led to strong representation at controllers) and in coaching, and pay the Obtaining funds under Sports Unlimited JK, BOC and the CompassSport Cup financial cost for members to attain these enabled us to provide our first after-school qualifications. We head-hunt novices to club at two School Sport Partnerships. The WCOC hold events every Thursday plan and organise some of our smaller extension from the club includes 3 or 4 throughout the year, catering for all events and offer experienced members Saturday morning coaching and competitions. standards from beginner to experienced as mentors. Parents are actively engaged The first Leicestershire team was sent to competitor. The structure allows and encouraged to participate at junior a British Schools Score Championships, new planners and organisers to gain training sessions by helping with the including an individual winner. experience before getting involved in the organisation e.g. by counting juniors in five district events, the one regional and and out on training exercises and ensuring In 2008 we participated at five festival occasional national event we organise they have correct maps. days at large Country fairs and by holding each year. We stage fun events, e.g. 48 Orienteering events, we are getting very Christmas and Halloween (with proceeds We hold a club league based on local close to one event a week. to charity). All events use electronic timing events, and using a handicap system and overprinted bagged maps, with a strong support service to lighten the Congratulations to all three clubs; burden on volunteer planners. Their entries will be forwarded to the CCPR Sports Club of the Year Competition. Hilary Palmer, Development Manager

More People, More Places, More Podiums (MP3) Photo by Soren Andersson

Hilary Quick presents Jean Ross who became the 1000th person to complete the Teaching 1000TH TEACHER Orienteering Course ATTENDS TEACHING ORIENTEERING COURSE In a short time the Teaching Orienteering course The Teaching Orienteering courses grew out of has become so popular that we have recently the old Level 1 Coach award, which didn’t quite had the one thousandth participant. This meet the needs of teachers. The Part 1 course landmark wasO reached at the course taught by assumes no prior knowledge whatsoever, and Hilary Quick at Gairloch, Scotland on the 24th takes participants right from the simple ideas January. Schools around Gairloch are small, of mapping items on top of a table, through often with fewer pupils in total than many schools to head-to-head racing in the school grounds in England have in one class. However they’ve or a nearby park. There’s lots of activity all been mapped, the teachers are keen to get involved, so people learn by doing, and there trained and they’ve got great ideas for inter- are several examples of doing familiar things school competitons. (e.g. jigsaw puzzle) with new items relevant to orienteering (e.g. maps). By ensuring Comments from participants on the Teaching that all participants actually set out a short Orienteering course usually refer to the enjoyable course in the grounds or park, we can be activities, how they’ve had their eyes opened to confident that they understand how much Further information about Coaching how many corners of the primary curriculum our time to allow for setting things up and that they Courses can be found at: sport touches, and surprise at how much they have understood the basics of orienteering. www.britishorienteering.org.uk learnt in one day. CELEBRATING BRITAIN’S BEST

Gareth Candy ORIENTEERS OF THE YEAR Presents Scott Fraser with the Each year this award is made to the British orienteer judged to Best Improved have given the best performance at the World Championships. Senior Trophy This is the Michael Wells-Cole Memorial Trophy in memory of Michael Wells-Cole who was British Champion in 1969 and 1970, and died, at the age of 32, in 1976. This year the award was shared as British Orienteering named current World Relay Champions Graham Gristwood, Jon Duncan and Jamie Stevenson as Senior Orienteers of Year. Graham said afterwards, “The gold medal was the reward for many years hard training, effort and sacrifice for the three of us, and it is great to achieve what we were all striving for. It’s nice to finally get my name up there with all the past greats of orienteering like Stevenson, Baker, Monro, Hale etc.” BEST SENIOR IMPROVER Scott Fraser was awarded this trophy for his outstanding results this year, particular in sprint races where he finished 4th at Jason Inman presents Kris Jones with the European Championships and won a bronze medal at the the Junior Orienteer of the Year Trophy World University Championships. In his debut final at the World Championships, Scott finished in 21st position and also finished Jason Inman presents Hector Haines 21st in the World Cup series. with the Best Improved Junior Trophy 2008 JUNIOR ORIENTEER OF THE YEAR Kristain Jones was awarded the Silva Statuette for his fantastic Gold medal in the sprint distance at the European Youth Championships. Kris said afterwards, “It felt pretty good but strange winning the gold medal as l wasn’t expecting anything higher than a top 10 after my previous result. This award is just the icing on the cake!”

BEST JUNIOR IMPROVER Graham Hector Haines was awarded this trophy for his outstanding Gristwood and results this year, 16th at the Junior World Championships and Jon Duncan 36th at the World University Championships both in the long receive their award from distance. Hector will be aiming to improve his JWOC position in Gareth his final year as a Junior.