Junior Development (split from PPs)

[Big Jon]

Lost Again - yes our work with Active Schools at primary schools hasn't got (as far as I am aware) one new member, our growth has come from after-school clubs and, increasingly, word of mouth or personal contacts. As soon as people express an interest their e-mail address is put on the "junior list" and regular notes sent out before any training and before & after events - with junior achievements updated after each event. takes some effort but is worth it in holding newcomers.
We are working now with Active Schools Coordinators to increase their skills so they can take on more responsibility for teaching O and organising school festivals.

[LostAgain]

our work with Active Schools at primary schools hasn't got (as far as I am aware) one new member

HALO have supported primary school mapping and training with additional support for the East Yorkshire Schools Champs etc targetting year 5 & 6. As far as I am aware we have yet to attract a single new member from this.

More recently HALO have established club nights in two different parts of our region. This seems to be having more success. I'd still say it is not overwhelming, nothing like the number MAROC have attracted and hence is the reason for starting this thread.

A discussion of best practice and what is working.

[EddieH]

What is working up our way?

Sunlit Forres is working - that's the nub of it.

[Sunlit Forres]

HALO have supported primary school mapping and training with additional support for the East Yorkshire Schools Champs etc targetting year 5 & 6. As far as I am aware we have yet to attract a single new member from this.

How many times do you come across adult beginners at events who come because "I tried it at school once"? The benefits of schools events might not be immediate but surely the more people that get to see orienteering done properly the better in the long term. It's a shame that funders don't always seem to recognise the challenge that minority sports have in simply getting people to understand what their sport is.

I agree that you can do too much. If you do everything for schools they'll just sit there waiting for you to come back the next time. We no longer map schools for free. The schools up here who seem to be doing the most orienteering are those who have paid to have their own maps made, have had their own staff trained up in how to use them, and do orienteering in their own time completely independently.