New Funding from Cairngorm LEADER for Orienteering in Deeside
The SOA has been successful in winning a grant through Cairngorm LEADER to fund a new 2-year development project in upper Deeside and Donside linked to the 2017 Scottish 6 Days and 2018 British Orienteering Championships, both of which are planned to be held in Deeside.
In the lead up to these events, the new “Community Orienteering and Protection of the Environment” (COPE) project will provide an exciting opportunity for the local community to get involved. Project manager, Sarah Dunn, from Mar Orienteering Club will work with schools in Braemar, Crathie, Ballater and Strathdon as well as youth groups at the heart of the community, to stage activities and also to help train leaders to be able to sustain activities into the future.
A novel angle to the project is to build on the concept that learning generated through introducing people to a recreation that has environmental appreciation at its core offers a robust long-term strategy for protection and enhancement of the natural environment. Outdoor recreation has been identified as the best way to build relationships between people and nature and by initiating these activities at an early age we are helping to foster a future generation that will have a desire to care for and protect the environment into the future. Orienteering is exemplary as a sport in terms of its respect for the environment and working around environmental constraints, whilst at the same time a big appeal for newcomers is the opportunity to explore hidden and wild places which they have never visited before.
There are many fantastic locations for orienteering in Deeside and it is hoped that the introductory sessions will encourage more of the local community to take up the opportunity to participate in the events to be staged on their doorstep during 2017 and 2018.
For further information about the project, please e-mail
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