reputation of orienteering

[SeanC]

There's plenty* of people pre-disposed to orienteering who have no idea what the sport is, who would take it up and get keen if only they knew about it. That's our experience anyway.

Hard sell? Remember we're not just competing with running clubs etc for future orienteers but with a massive leisure industry of health clubs, tourist attractions etc, all with big publicity budgets, not to mention all the other possibilities people have with their spare time that they didn't have 20 years ago because of rising incomes.

If we just sit quietly in the forest corner waiting for people to find us in the numbers we need via word of mouth alone.... - I very much doubt whether that will work in 2011. As hard a sell as the leisure industry employs is not practical.. but a much harder sell than many clubs currently employ might be a good start.

*ie enough to slowely grow a club.

[Copepod]

Following SeanC's post, a mention for a new departure at WAOC - one of our older mmebers has started a U3A (University of the Third Age) orienteering group at the same time as regular club night. Chatting with a U3A man, new to orienteering and much older than me, as I arrived early (due to cycling not being affected by traffic jam caused by car accident), he wanted to know about when events take place, where to find out about fixtures, age groups etc. Perhaps older people aren't our target group, but they have as much right as anyone to join in, and can be a way to reach grandchildren.