Cleveland Orienteering Club Monthly Report - March
The bi-annual RDO meeting was held in Birmingham during the month. Of particular interest to our region was work done to develop novel ways of introducing orienteering at primary school level. This system is to be trialled at a primary school in CLOK territory, for feed-back. A presentation was given by Steve Vernon on his development projects with selected clubs, and it is good to note that the CLOK committee is thinking along similar lines - the Monday night junior and parents sessions in Guisborough are averaging 18 participants, and Linda Thornton’s initiative, with coaching from Gill Hale and Mick Garratt, is coming up to it’s first anniversary.
Introductory coaching was delivered at Ferryhill College, County Durham, after coaching sessions at the feeder primary schools last month. We have proposed they set up an inter-schools competition at the College in summer.
Montalbo Primary in Barnard Castle has been mapped and a coaching session delivered – we are in touch with the schools Extended Activities Advisor with objective of establishing an after-school club, hopefully leading to a satellite club in the area.
Mick Garratt has started an after-school club at Swainby Primary in North Yorkshire. These sessions and the funding for mapping has been provided by a Sport Unlimited Grant from North Yorkshire.
The fourth and final session to Middlesbrough Actionnaires (visually impaired children) has been designed and delivered by Anne Dehany. Unfortunately, the weather was poor and the session had to take place indoors. As a result, there is a number of unused tactile maps of The King’s Academy, together with a lesson plan, and it is intended to offer a further session in the summer term. Talks are now ongoing as to how to build on this initiative, which has been received enthusiastically by both children and supervisors.
An initial meeting to propose the inauguration of an orienteering club at the University of Teesside was held, and attracted but two undergraduates. They were addressed by club internationals Pippa and Duncan Archer, did a short course on the campus, in competition with a member of the university sports development team, and invited to CLOK’s next local event (March 21). A second session is scheduled for March 22, with some development during summer term, leading to a presentation at Freshers’ Fair in September.
CLOK’s seven inter-schools league competitions, which are BOF registered, now have their participation numbers reported through the usual channels to BOF, and the very many smaller coaching and development sessions, which are not registered and are subject to the client’s insurance, have their participation numbers sent to BOF office on a monthly basis.
CLOK Development Project
Including the RDO activity detailed above, a total of 566 children and 18 adults experienced orienteering in February, making 1119 in all for Q1/10. This will increase by the end of the quarter as one after-school session and one inter-primary competition is scheduled.
Additional activity to that described above comprised introductory coaching at one secondary and four primary schools, a preparatory session for an Orienteering Junior Leaders Award course at Dyke House School, Hartlepool and an EMIT timed event in the grounds of Rye Hills School, Redcar, contributing to the PE department’s GCSE assessment.
Finally, 13 schools sent a total of 296 competitors to event four of the Cleveland Schools at Cowpen Bewley, Billingham.
Cleveland Orienteering Klub - Please reply to Mike Hardy, Upeleya, Upleatham, Redcar, Cleveland TS11 8AG.
Telephone: 01287-624521 Fax: 01287-625301 Email: mikehardy@onyxnet.co.uk
