Third Year of LVO Juniors & Families Development Project
The Orienteering Foundation is pleased to support Lagan Valley Orienteers (LVO) for a third year of their Juniors & Families Development Officer initiative. This extension builds directly on the strong results highlighted in LVO’sand will help the club consolidate its growth in junior participation.
This award follows two highly successful years of delivery under the Juniors and Families project which has transformed junior engagement across the club, with junior membership almost doubling, and many parents and therefore families also becoming active club members. You can read more about it in their recent project report.
The newly funded year will focus on the next major challenge: retention and technical progression, particularly the transition from TD3 to TD4/5 as juniors move from M/W12 to M/W14. This is a known dropout point nationally, and LVO’s planned activities include:
- A structured TD3–TD4/5 progression programme delivered in high‑quality technical terrain
- Increased use of MapRun for independent practice
- Greater emphasis on Livelox route analysis to support reflective learning
- Collaboration with the Irish Junior Squad for shared training opportunities
- Continued delivery of newcomer courses for new families entering the sport
Many newcomer families are learning orienteering alongside their children, meaning structured support is essential to maintain confidence and enjoyment and keep the whole family engaged. The Development Officer role helps reduce pressure on volunteers, strengthens coaching sustainability, and ensures juniors have a clear pathway from first steps in the sport through to regional representation.
Fionne Austin is already appointed to the Development Officer post, and we look forward to seeing LVO continue to grow its junior community and to supporting the next phase of the programme.