In the Spotlight...Development and Innovation Award Winners and Runners-up

Today we are proud to shine the spotlight on...

British Orienteering Development & Innovation Award Winners

This award celebrates the efforts an individual, group, or club has put into delivering a new programme or initiative which supports the growth of orienteering. 

Congratulations to Peter Effeney and Pat MacLeod who are the winners of this award, which is new to 2021.

Peter, based in Australia developed the MapRun app which was made a fantastic difference to the way orienteering can be accessed by members and the public. MapRun’s interest and use rocketed during the periods of lockdown, when clubs planned ‘virtual’ courses for members to run in their own time.

Pat is the UK MapRun Manager who has worked tirelessly, providing fantastic support to club MapRun administrators. Pat has given so much of his time and enthusiasm to helping set up structures and courses for us to enjoy. The adaptability of MapRun has resulted in it being used in many ways, from urban leagues to mountain races. I’m sure you agree that the work that Peter and Pat have done to help develop and deliver this innovative app is a worthy inaugural award winner.  

Congratulations Peter and Pat - and thank you.

----

There were some other nominees for this award whose efforts and ideas should also be praised... 

Jane Mockford (Deeside Orienteering Club) recognised the need for people to connect when restrictions forced us to isolate. Delivering weekly online strength and conditioning sessions, Jane not only supported Deeside Orienteering Club members (and others outside the Deeside Orienteering Club) physically but also provided the opportunity for people to catch up on a regular basis, which had a great impact on their mental health. The popularity of this class meant that it continued beyond the ending of restrictions.  

-----

Mark Pruzina (Lagan Valley Orienteers) is at the heart of innovative ideas to improve the efficiency and safety not just within his Orienteering club but of the Northern Ireland Orienteering Association and NI Fellrunning. Mark manages SiEntries and has been influential with regard to a move to online entries and a cashless payment system for entries on the day. In response to the increase in the use of SIAC, Mark developed Radio Online Controls (ROC). These ROCs use a mobile phone 3G signal to send a live feed of punch data back to the base laptops (via a server in Sweden!!) providing a useful tracking safety check which is especially helpful for runners on more remote orienteering courses and used in the Mourne Mountain Marathon and Seven Sevens Challenge Walk/Fell Running event.  

-----

Stephen Borrill (West Anglian Orienteering Club) has created a national resource for orienteering in the form of the online portal MapRun.uk to help people easily find maps and information about Permanent and Smart/Virtual Orienteering events. This has contributed to the accessibility and use of Permanent Orienteering Courses and Virtual Orienteering Courses on a nationwide basis and is a fantastic resource for both the experienced orienteer looking to run or create courses and those we hope to welcome to the sport.  As well as creating the portal, Stephen has acted as a mentor to planners and a moderator of virtual courses to ensure they work on the ground and he has been involved in teaching others how best to create new Virtual Orienteering Courses through a webinar, encouraging new planners to come forward.  

-----

Thank you to all who submitted nominations for British Orienteering's Annual Awards this year. 

Many congratulations all!

-----

British Orienteering looks forward to continuing with this 'In the Spotlight' online celebration tomorrow with the following...

The winner and runners-up of The Club of the Year Award at 10:00 tomorrow morning (Saturday 23 April). 

Tomorrow afternoon, British Orienteering will be shining the spotlight on the winner and runners-up of The University of the Year Award at 14:00.