New Club Development Officer for Fermanagh Orienteers
We are pleased to award funding to Fermanagh Orienteers (FERMO) to establish a new Club Development Officer (CDO) role, supporting the club’s ambition to grow participation and strengthen its future across Fermanagh and Omagh.
FERMO is a small but highly active club with a long history of delivering high‑quality events in some of the finest terrain in Ireland. However, with only 28 members - including just five juniors - and an ageing volunteer base, the club identified an urgent need to expand its capacity and reach new audiences. As their application noted, “our key members are aging, and volunteer fatigue is a concern,” making this a critical moment for succession planning and community engagement.
The new CDO role will focus on increasing participation and membership by providing regular, accessible orienteering opportunities for families and young people. FERMO plans to deliver monthly high‑quality activities close to the main population centres of Enniskillen and Omagh, alongside 6–8 additional training and newcomer‑friendly sessions each year. These will complement the club’s existing events and help ensure that newcomers receive the support they need to progress.
The project also includes a strong emphasis on innovation and outreach. FERMO intends to investigate and experiment in innovative ways to attract new audiences, exploring new locations, new groups, and more effective use of social media and local communications. Collaboration will be central to the role, with the CDO sharing ideas and learning with the Northern Ireland Development Officer, Lagan Valley Orienteers’ CDO, and other partners.
The Orienteering Foundation is delighted to support this ambitious and forward‑looking project, and looks forward to seeing FERMO’s renewed growth and energy over the coming year.