We are the Orienteering Foundation, a charity that promotes and supports orienteering, to bring all the benefits this amazing sport has to offer the people of the UK, and to ensure that our sport is here for the enjoyment of generations to come.
But the future of our sport is at risk. Only 10% of our orienteering community is aged between 20-34 and in 2017 nearly 10,000 school children participated in our grassroots schemes. Worryingly despite this good work we are seeing drop out rates of 70-80% in those crucial skill building years of ages 13-21.
And our volunteers are getting tired. Last year there was a 4% drop in the number of events run, but a 7% increase in competitors. The demands outside events also continue to rise. We know people want to participate in our sport but we are in danger of burning out our volunteers.
Technology in the sport provides massive opportunity but we need to invest. We have all seen major changes over the past twenty years with the emergence of electronic punching and tracking systems, mapping software, and online analysis tools.
With your support the Orienteering Foundation works to tackle emerging issues. We currently fund junior programmes, invest in elites, support adult coaching opportunities, support those developing tools and techniques to alleviate volunteer workloads, and sponsor projects which look to exploit new technologies in our sport. With your help we can do more.
We were very pleased to support a third Orienteering Foundation coaching day in the Lake District in November 2019, kindly organised again by Derek Allison.
In 2019 the Orienteering Foundation once again supported coach development at the Lagganlia summer training camp. Here we find out what an impact this has had over the years.
Charlotte Ward writes about competing at the World Cup Final in China, supported by the Orienteering Foundation.
Cecilie Andersen writes about competing at the World Cup Final in China, supported by the Orienteering Foundation.
We are very excited to announce support for a project driven by the UK Elite Orienteering League (UKEOL) to provide GPS tracking at the British Long Distance and JK Championships in 2020.
Neil Bricknell has developed a useful Android and iOS app for viewing orienteering events. We are pleased to be supporting this initiative with a grant to cover app store license costs.
The Orienteering Foundation previously made an award to support enhancement of the JHI 2019 staged by Lagan Valley Orienteers in Northern Ireland this year by funding a ceilidh in the evening, and mementoes for all competitors. See details of the award here.
Harold White, the event coordinator now provides a report on a very successful weekend.
We have made an additional award of £411 towards the Junior Regional Orienteering Squads from money collected via JK 2019 entries and other donations supporting junior development.