Non-Bof orienteering events

[nooomember]

Does anyone know any protocol on organising an orienteering event (in the UK), outside of Bof control, knowledge or anything else?
Are there issues of Insurance, or copyright, advertising or other issues?
I guess Bof wouldnt advertise or promoteoutside events, but what about Bof affiliated clubs?
Any thoughts / advice welcome.

[DaveK]

Insurance would be the biggest issue I would guess - get a quote from an insurance broker I would suggest.

[smf]

Does anyone know any protocol on organising an orienteering event (in the UK), outside of Bof control, knowledge or anything else?
Are there issues of Insurance, or copyright, advertising or other issues?
I guess Bof wouldnt advertise or promoteoutside events, but what about Bof affiliated clubs?
Any thoughts / advice welcome.

Don't do it, the only reason not to is to avoid levies. Other affiliated clubs would not be happy and your club would get a bad reputation.

[andypat]

Like Simon I think it'd be helpful if you could explain your motive for wanting to do so? I'd imagine it could be profit? In which case probably your biggest isue would be cost.
Unless you happen to have a stock of suitably skilled volunteers you probably are going to need to pay a lot of people. The entry fee is going to be pretty steep and that'll probably put off any regular orienteers.

Maybe you are aiming this at the 99% odd of the UK population who arent regular Orienteers? in which case - good luck and let us know your secret!

[alanbrett]

Josh Jenner ran such an event at Westfield Stratford last year. I think his insurance cover for his coaching business covered him. The marketing of events is much easier via the BOF events database etc.

[Roger]

I've done or been involved in a handful of such events, for a primary school playscheme, cubs, beavers (proto-cubs) and school CCF. Only once did we use a pre-existing map, which was obtained through the local club. The common thread is that they were all carried out as part of the relevant organisation's activities.

For the cubs' event, I found out that they were intending to use an OS map on an area that's open to the public but weren't going to request permission. I obtained permission from the landowner (who was most welcoming) and offered to draw a proper O-map. As a result my club gained a small area that's suitable for introductory events and summer training, the cubs know what 'proper' orienteering is like and the sport has gained a supporter.

These types of gains won't always be possible but they do demonstrate that 'mainstream' orienteering can benefit from activities carried out away from the BOF 'umbrella'. If you can set up your event so that it provides a legacy, do so!

[Sunlit Forres]

Just like a bunch of lads can get together an organise a charity football game without getting permission from the FA, I don't see why anyone can't organise their own orienteering event so long they can cover their backsides if they're taking money off the general public. I've taken part in small community fun runs organised by village halls etc that haven't been registered with any athletics body. Presumably they have their own liability insurance for such fund-raising events.

We've reached the daft situation where a couple of orienteering club members going for a run together are supposed to register their activity with BOF. BOF have good reasons for wanting to record participation, but if the sport expands the way we'd like it to, it seems to me a bit OTT to expect every single orienteering-related activity to be registered.

The way I'd treat situations like Roger refers to is encourage the scout master or whoever to become a member of his local O club. That way he can he can get access to kit, get help with land use permission, maps and, most importantly, expertise to make sure he's giving his punters the best possible experience of orienteering. Did your new map produce any new members Roger? I've found in the past, by trial and error, that giving things to schools/scouts etc on a plate is counter-productive. They tend to take it for granted. If they have to pay for it they value it far more.

[Roger]

Did your new map produce any new members Roger?

Primary school map - no, but maybe it helped to spark interest for them to raise a medal-winning team at the British Schools Champs a few years later. None of the children involved currently orienteer.

Cubs map - probably, but from the club's introductory events there rather than among the cubs.

Beavers event (on a BADO map) - the person in charge, who was a running club-mate, joined TVOC briefly but she's now fled oop north (well, Leicestershire so way south for you) and is focusing on cross-country. I'm afraid that I wouldn't recognise the beavers in question if they turned up to an event.

CCF map - too early to say, but all the participants got a postcard showing the first half-season of TVOC's introductory events. And the person in charge that day was my son, a former British Champion (ahead of some famous names; sadly, that was his high-point).

The big danger is that unless you make it easy, such groups will either use OS maps or will do 'orienteering' that consists of pacing and bearing exercises on a school field. For the last three years I've helped at an introductory day for 13-year-olds from the local Schools Sports Partnership. Several of them have commented that they thought orienteering was all about walking round a piece of grass following precise numerical bearings. Only one lad has followed up and come to summer evening events, but they've all had a day out in the countryside and have learned what the sport's about.

[Sunlit Forres]

Dead right Roger. hence my comment about getting the group leader to become a club member. Kids being made to do stuff that isn't orienteering, but calling it orienteering, has probably caused the real sport to suffer.

But it's great that club members such as you are prepared to put in so much effort to helping these groups, but I do sometimes wonder if that effort wouldn't be better spent putting on more well-promoted club activities to make joining a club more attractive. Helping them out is fine, but it's best to help them to help themselves and not do it for them. I know it's often temptingly easier to do it all yourself!

[greywolf]

When I was living in the far north (before moving down south 5 years ago ) I put on various unregistered O events for schools, youth groups etc without any involvement from BOF or SOA (there's no club for ~100 miles anyway), who don't have any copyright on "orienteering" or the use of ISOM etc.
In most cases these were closed events and participants were covered by the school or youth group's insurance. One exception was an event staged as part of an "open day" in the forest I managed, where the orienteering was one of a number of activities taking place and listed on the one-off policy for the day.

[Nimby]

We occasionally put on events for schools and scout groups - we don't charge and they have appropriate insurance.

We assume BOF would benefit from the participation figures, but there's no incentive to register as the Club would have to pay the levy. There are "results" so it's not an activity.

[babs f]

I put the idea of guide/scout orienteering activities counting towards participation figures to Mike Hamilton and Ed Nicholas when they came to our committee meeting.

These sort of non-BOF events can count. Please send information about the event and the number of participants to info@britishorienteering.org.uk

[mykind]

I'm planning to take tea with one or two orienteers at the weekend. Do I have to register that with BOF as well?

[andypat]

I'm planning to take tea with one or two orienteers at the weekend.

Are you the Queen?

[John-O]

Radio Orienteering has more in common with normal foot orienteering than the other recognised IOF categories of MTBO, Ski-O or Trail-O. Radio direction finding goes back a long way to the early days of radio and rules and events come under the auspices of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). The radio transmitters used need to be licensed by the regulatory body, in the UK this is the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). BOF are not going to get involved in a sport that is run by someone else but they have indicated that clubs could assist by providing maps or other support.

The radio receivers used are available "off the shelf" and normal orienteering maps are used. The maps only show the start and finish. The rest of the course is gained by interpreting the radio signals and trying to find the optimum route. It certainly adds an additional mental challenge.

The sport is particularly strong in countries that belong to the former Soviet Union where it has been used for military training and is taught in schools. Radio orienteering is relatively new in the UK, but gained its first world champion in 2012. Germany is by far the most active nation in western Europe but we could catch them up if more orienteers would give it a try.

The RSGB holds events about 12 events each year at various venues around the country but mostly west of London and in the Midlands. There is an event at Burbage Common (Visitor Centre car park), near Hinckley, Leicestershire http://goo.gl/maps/bxKAi on 7th April from 10:00. Come and give it a try. There will be some spare receivers available. Please email john dot ma at ntlworld dot com if you would like to attend as we might need to print some more maps.