Lakes Coaching Day 1st November 2025
There will be another Orienteering Foundation coaching day on Saturday 1st November at Black Beck, Lake District. Registration now open - come as an individual or as part of a group. This is an excellent opportunity to practice your orienteering skills outside the pressure of an event, in fabulous technical orienteering terrain, and particularly for adults who often lack orienteering training opportunities. Clubs can also use it as a way to develop budding new coaches, under the supervision of a lead coach.
The coaching day in 2024 was heavily disrupted by wintry weather, and although some hardy souls made it (including Derek Allison the lead coach for the day), many didn't. Despite best efforts to reschedule early in the new year it was not to be. However, we are back on Saturday 1st November 2025 at the excellent detailed area of Black Beck in the Lake District (permissions now confirmed).
The format will be very similar to previous years, open to individuals (coached by Derek Allison) or club or regional groups (coached by your own coaches). For the groups, Derek will plan and hang controls and supply OCAD and Purple Pen files - all your coaches have to do is plan your own courses (or use similar ones to the individuals being coached), print your maps, and turn up!
Can't make this event? Or want some extra coaching?! There is also a new Orienteering Foundation coaching day the weekend after on Merthyr Mawr in South Wales organised by SROC. See flyer for details.
Date – Saturday 1st November 2025.
Location – Black Beck (RouteGadget - the north eastern part of this map). Parking TBC, possibly £2 parking charge. Approximate centre of area see Google maps.
Organisation and planning – Derek Allison
Timing – 10am until 2:30pm when controls will be collected.
Cost - The coaching day is open to the following participants:
- Individuals – Cost £13 per individual participant. This covers access fees, planned training exercises, hung controls, printed maps, and expert coaching from Derek Allison and / or other experienced coaches. Any standard from TD4 (Light Green) up to full TD5 can be catered for. All individual participants must be 18+ years of age.
- Groups – For example clubs, schools, or junior squads. Cost £7 per group participant. This covers access fees, and supply of electronic map (OCAD) and course files (Purple Pen) to group leaders. Groups MUST come with at least one coach, who is suitably qualified and responsible for the safety of their group. However, these days can also be a good opportunity to develop new coaches in your group who are working towards qualification, supervised by a lead coach. Groups will need to print their own maps, and may either use the planned courses, or modify / design their own using the same controls (please do not hang additional controls in the forest, unless by prior agreement with Derek). Group participants may be of any age that their coaches are happy to supervise.
Facilities – No toilets, please go before you arrive. All individual and group participants should bring their own orienteering equipment (compass etc.), lunch / snacks and drinks.
First aid and safety – Derek is a qualified first aider. Groups should also ensure they have a qualified first aider. Derek will prepare the risk assessment for individual coaching, and also provide a copy for group leaders to adapt to do a risk assessment for their own group.
Registration – Individual participants, and group leaders with provisional numbers of participants, MUST register in advance.
- Individual participants please register via Pre-Entries here. Payment is made via Pre-Entries when you register.
- Group leaders, please contact Derek Allison, email email hidden; JavaScript is required, to register your group. Payment must be made in advance. Payment details will be provided on registration.
Closing date for all registrations: Sunday 19th October 2025. Note: you cannot just turn up on the day, you must pre-register. There may be a limit on numbers of individual and group participants, given the limited size of the area, and to preserve a quality coaching experience. First come (i.e. first to register!), first served.
Cancellations – If the coaching day has to be cancelled for whatever reason (e.g. severe weather), those who have booked and paid will be offered refunds, or the option of keeping a place on a rescheduled coaching day. The Orienteering Foundation cannot accept liability for any other costs incurred by participants / groups in the event of cancellation (e.g. accommodation)
Refunds – No refunds will be given, but if a participant has to withdraw, their fee minus £2 admin charge will be refunded if the place is subsequently filled by another paying participant.
Copyright and permissions - The map files provided to group leaders are copyright Lakeland Orienteering Club, and must only be used in conjunction with this coaching day, and deleted afterwards. Moreover, access to the area is sensitive, and permission is only granted on the coaching day itself - groups and individuals must not attempt to use the area at any other time, without first seeking permission via LOC.
Sunday 2nd November 2025 – Why not make a weekend of quality orienteering training and competing in the South Lakes? The following day there is a LOC event (Cumbrian Galoppen) at Wansfell & Skelghyll Woods, Ambleside. Details will be on the LOC website.