Lochaber Orienteering Development
We are pleased to announce a grant towards orienteering development in the Lochaber area, capitalising on the forthcoming Scottish 6 Days
Currently there is no orienteering club in or near Fort William, the event centre for the 2021 Scottish 6-days, with the nearest clubs (EckO and BASOC) both based some 50 miles distant. As the outdoor capital of the UK and a place where hill running is already a popular sport, it is anticipated that there could be significant interest in orienteering. The 6-day event offers a strong hook to try and grow the sport in the area. Furthermore, there has been a notable increase in interest in orienteering, from schools especially, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The objective of this project is to offer opportunities for members of the local community, and especially school children, to try orienteering ahead of the event. The Lochaber Active Schools Co-ordinator will work with the SOA development team to introduce orienteering to schools, including training teachers to be able to deliver activities in school time, and facilitating further opportunities for primary aged children to participate in orienteering out of school.
The project has goals including:
- 12 school teachers trained
- 4 new mapped school areas (and other funding sources are being sought with a view to mapping the Nevis Range area)
- 100 children given the opportunity to participate in-school
- 10 children participating in a summer camp
- 2 activities near Fort William before the Lochaber 2021 6-days, and two more after
We look forward to seeing the project delivered, and sincerely hope the Lochabar 2021 6-days is able to go ahead, to help stimulate interest in orienteering in the area.