ORIENTEERING FOUNDATION

FVO club development officer

FVO
FVO

We are pleased to award a grant to Forth Valley Orienteers (FVO) to help extend their Development Officer role.

For the last 4 years FVO have employed Chris Smithard as a Development Officer for 1 day a week. This has proved a great success for the club, with membership rising from 140 to 224 members (before Covid times...) and the number of events doubling. 

Chris is now leaving the role, which has offered FVO an opportunity to reassess, alongside a new Strategic Plan for the club (which can be found on their website here), and they are looking to continue the Development Officier role. It has become sustainable at 1 day a week, but as an ambitious club they are looking to expand to 2 days a week. Here at the Orienteering Foundation we are proud to support them in doing that.

FVO's recent club development has focussed on Dunblane and Linlithgow hubs to attract newcomers. The continuation of the role will create three new hubs in Callendar, Stirling and Falkirk, with new maps to support events targeted at newcomers. The club has 2 specific development targets: to increase members, especially their active members, and to increase the number of events they provide. 

Over the next 4 years FVO aim to make the Development Officer sustainable at the new 2 days a week level, through increased membership and event income, thus maintaining thier ability to keep thriving as a club.

We wish them every success for the future!

Note, this is a historical news article. For the latest information, and links to any more recent news articles, see our Club Development page.

Last updated: Sun 9 Jul 2023