Interlopers club development report
Interlopers takeover of Vogrie parkrun
We awarded a grant to Interlopers Orienteering Club last year to help fund a club development project, as part of a 4 year strategic plan (see award article), and are pleased to share their report on progress over the first 6 months.
Highlights in the report:
- The funding from the Orienteering Foundation and the Scottish Orienteering Association enabled a new club development role to be set up in summer 2024, to which Katherine Ivory was appointed.
- The project was scoped in three phases: in the lead-up to WOC 2024 (Phase 1, June-July), in the aftermath of WOC (phase 2, August-December), and then January-April 2025 (Phase 3) to continue work, consolidate learning to date and plan for a proposed second year of development activity.
- Activities so far have included
- engagement with local councils and community groups
- developing the club's online presence and creation of promotional material
- putting on taster events for various local groups
- takeover of two local parkruns for a day with orienteering tasters afterwards
- This is starting to show results in improved external visibility and wider interest, for example good turn-outs for club events held in the summer / autumn. Investing in publicity and outreach pays off!
- It is still very early days in the club development journey, with consolidation and further on-going work needed to build up the foundations for sustainable success. The club now has some of the necessary tools in place but needs to do more, especially on the club website as the ‘shop front’ for newcomers, and engaging more club members as volunteers for outreach and support for newcomers.
- There is plenty of potential for growth, subject to club capacity to support engagement work with new audiences. The project so far has generated plenty of learning and built capability e.g., in terms of club marketing resources that can now be easily adapted for future events. In addition, late winter / spring is a good time of year to start initiatives with typically better weather enticing more people outdoors, and as the events programme gets fully underway.
- Greater coordination and collaboration with ESOC is to be explored, for Edinburgh out-reach work to promote the sport to newcomers, to make the most of resources and avoid duplication or (unhelpful) perceptions of competition.
You can read the full report here.