Editor’s contemplations

Hania Lada

Orienteering Australia’s ‘Activity Plan for 2023’ (in press) includes goals to ‘promote inclusive participation practices in orienteering’. In particular, ‘ensure we offer programs which are open and inclusive to all members of the community’ and eventually ‘increase the social and cultural diversity of people participating in orienteering’. Welcoming Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) people, low-income families or people with disabilities is both ethical and in orienteering’s interest by increasing participation. What are individual clubs’ experiences? This editorial is followed by one club’s example of inclusivity. To evaluate if a strategy increases diversity of participants we would ideally collect data from before and after the strategy’s implementation.This isn’t simple but worth trying. An anonymous questionnaire could be added to event entries (online and at registration). ‘How inclusive is orienteering? We are aiming to find out: 1. Do you identify as a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse person? 2. Do you have any difficulties moving across terrain? 3. Is this your first event? How did you find out about it?’ I wouldn’t ask ‘Where do you come from?’ Some people have experienced trauma, worry about safety of loved ones, or dislike a perceived judgement of their appearance or language.

Speakers of non-English languages. Liaise with Saturday language schools about post-lesson orienteering events in nearby locations. Enable families to try orienteering at pick-up time, combining activities for local communities and seasoned orienteers. Advertise in different languages, perhaps develop bilingual templates into which organisers insert relevant information.The 2021 Census (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022) revealed that the top five most common non-English languages in Australia were Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi.They varied per local area, for example 13.5% of people spoke Mandarin at home, 10.5% Arabic, 6.9% Korean, 6.6% Cantonese, and 5.7% Nepali in Auburn (NSW) but 11.9% Vietnamese and 6.1% Khmer in Dandenong (VIC). Would street O events benefit from translations into pertinent languages?

CALD communities. Organise come-and-try events in culturally diverse areas. Coincide maze orienteering with large family gatherings at major celebrations of Diwali, Eid and Lunar New Year. Obtain Memorandum of Understanding with the Traditional Custodians of the lands covered by orienteering maps. Invite the local Indigenous communities to perform ‘Welcome to Country’ at orienteering events on their Country.

Low-income individuals and families – offer discounts to events for health-care-card holders. LGBTQIA+ communities – include rainbow flags on websites; many sporting clubs already do this. People with mobility issues and other disabilities – set up trail orienteering courses with some events, use Auslan in publicity videos, entice and support carers.

Everyone. Advertise in local communities, target schools, kindergartens, scouts, tourism offices and sport clubs. Attempt post-school training where orienteering programs are conducted. Prepare information with evidence about orienteering’s cognitive and health benefits.

Are any of these strategies efficacious or even feasible? In May, I was interviewed by the Polish section of the SBS radio.The SBS website now features our conversation and links to orienteering sites. I wonder, has anyone turned up to an orienteering event as a result of the interview?

Some team sports are so popular that clubs limit their membership. Could we reach those on waiting lists? In Poland at our orienteering club’s weekday training sessions we ran with maps, and played basketball, soccer or handball. Could we emulate this, especially for juniors?

We are a relatively healthy and friendly sport.Too many people in Australia, who would have enjoyed orienteering, miss out on experiencing it.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022). 2021 Census. All persons. QuickStats. https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/ quickstats/2021/AUS Accessed 25 May 2023.

Newbury Navigators

DEBBIE DODD (Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club) www.orienteering.asn.au

The ‘Newbury Navigators’ are a group of several men with varying intellectual disabilities, who live together in a share house, which is administered by Yooralla. Their main carer at the time they started coming to street orienteering, Sally Brownridge, is related to Charles Brownridge, so she was familiar with orienteering, and thought it would be a good activity for the group to get them outdoors on a regular basis.Sally is incredibly proactive and has been responsible for the Newburys taking part in all sorts of activities, which often meant jumping through hoops to get permission.This included things like camping trips, bike rides, hikes, and the Relay for Life, which the boys have completed many times, raising thousands of dollars for the Cancer Council.

I remember Sally telling me that of everything they’d tried, street O is the one that has ‘stuck’ – they really enjoy it, and so do the carers who accompany them. They also love being part of their club, Dandenong Ranges. They regularly set courses, have been on the club committee, and always enter a team in the Club Relays, winning their division on more than one occasion! They really like the fact that they can just come along and join in on the same basis as everyone else. Everyone has been very welcoming and accepting, there is no fuss or special rules, and they just fit in. The only allowance we’ve made is for membership of The Millennium Club (normally groups are not eligible) and they have completed over 1000 events, achieving Legend status.

The carers do an amazing job, but as organisers we are mindful of being ready with extra support if needed. If one of the guys happens to wander off, we have to think a bit differently to understand where they might have headed. For instance, one of the group loves water; when he disappeared at one event, we were looking for him near the river, while all the time he was in the nearby tennis club building, happily taking a shower!

DROC did not have any special programs in place to prompt the Newburys to join; it just seemed a natural fit. We've seen many carers come and go over the years, and we all agree that every single one of them is absolutely incredible - so patient, cheerful, and inspirational. We absolutely love having Newburys in the club, and DROC would not be the same without them.

PO Box 3379, North Strathfield, NSW 2137

ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA BOARD

Chair & Director – International (IOF)

Director – Finance

Director – Technical

Director Coaching & High Performance

Director Media & Communications

Director – Ex Officio

Director

ORIENTEERING

State Associations

Orienteering Queensland: POBox275,FernyHillsDC,QLD4055.Secretary:SueCampbell secretary@oq.asn.au

Orienteering NSW: POBox3379NorthStrathfieldNSW2137.Secretary:GayleQuantock admin@onsw.asn.au

Orienteering ACT: POBox402JamisonCentreACT2614.Secretary:StephenGoggs office@act.orienteering.asn.au

Orienteering Victoria: POBox1010TemplestoweVIC3106.Secretary:AislinnPrendergast secretary@vicorienteering.asn.au

Orienteering SA: 1 Windsor Rd, Glenside SA 5065. Secretary: Fi Pahor secretary@sa.orienteering.asn.au

Orienteering Western Australia: POBox234SubiacoWA6904.Secretary:CeriPass oawa.secretary@gmail.com

Orienteering Tasmania: Secretary:KlaasHartmann secretary@tasorienteering.asn.au

Top End Orienteers (Northern Territory): POBox39152WinnellieNT0821.Secretary:SusanneCasanova topendorienteersNT@gmail.com

ISSN 0818-6510 Issue 3/23 (no. 210) SEPTEMBER 2023

The national magazine of Orienteering Australia Inc. ABN 77 406 995 497

Published four times a year: 1 March, June, September, December. Copies are dispatched in bulk to state associations in the week prior to that date. Print Post Approved PP 236080/00011, (100023602 for NSW).

Editor: Hania Lada, P.O. Box 165, Warrandyte, Victoria 3113 magazine@orienteering.asn.au Phone 0493 615 203

Magazine Design & Assembly: Peter Cusworth, Phone 0409 797 023 pcusworth53@gmail.com

Printer: Razer Graphix, Factory 6/15 Stud Road, Bayswater.

Contributions welcome! Prior consultation is suggested before preparing major contributions. Guidelines available from the editor and the website https://orienteering.asn.au/index.php/magazine/

Regular Contributors: Competition – Blair Trewin; History & Awards –David Hogg; Spot the Difference – Michael Hubbert

Subscriptions: State Association members via State Associations. Contact relevant Association Secretary for details. Other subscribers: For information about payment refer to the Orienteering Australia website https://orienteering.asn.au/index.php/magazine/ or contact the editor. Opinions expressed in The Australian Orienteer are not necessarily those of Orienteering Australia.