Social

Ten more club members become first aiders

Ten of us attended training to either renew or gain our "Emergency first aid at work" certificate.

The training is provided by Steve Blount and he makes it an enjoyable experience by adding in many anecdotes. Training is available for any club member aged 16+ and the club pays for the training in order to increase coverage of first aid assistance at our events. Contact Steve Blount if you would like to take part in the next session.

Juniors Orienteering Activity DayWed 24 October

British Orienteering sponsored a 'youth activity day' for M/W10-14's at High Ashurst Outdoor Activity Centre near Dorking on Wednesday 24th October. Aimed at juniors from London and the South East, the day included orienteering exercises during the morning (including planning courses), as well as outdoor activities like high ropes, climbing wall and archery.

Peter Palmer Relays

On Saturday 8th Sept 2018, a minibus containing 9 SO Juniors and 3 adults headed north to Tankersley Woods in Sheffield for the annual Peter Palmer Relays – a team race that starts in the dark at 05:00 in the morning (first alarm clock this year hit us at 3:55am!).

Stan Heap on the first leg brought the team back in an incredible 2^nd place, handing over to sister Scarlet who put in another comfortable night leg, navigating through the complex contours and twisty path network.

Cheers to the White Rose

For some Southdowners, August Bank Holiday weekend means travelling to the North York Moors for the annual White Rose weekend of Orienteering. The event is a great social occasion and is always based around a central event campsite with most events only walking distance away. The prestigious prize that everyone pursues is the White Rose Mug!

Trail running sessions on a Tuesday night

The main Sussex Orienteering season takes a break until September, but keep an eye out for our trail running sessions on a Tuesday night.

Come and join a relaxed group of like-minded runners on trails of 4km to 13km. All abilities take part.

Preston Park Prizegiving and Picnic

This Sunday, at Preston Park is your last chance to improve your league position at the end of the Summer Sprint Series.

The event will be followed by a presentation of medals for the Sprint Series as well as prizes for the juniors who took part. All are invited to bring a picnic and catch up with others before the Summer break.

Southdowners bring home the Handicap Trophy at the SE Relays

In June 2018, Southdowns fielded 11 teams at the SE Relays at Holmbush. Juniors (and some seniors) donned their war paint and got ready to do battle with the terrain.

Ultimate success went to our Handicap team of Chris Hooker, Tommy Heap and Will Heap winning the Handicap Trophy, our Women's Open Team of Bryony Crickmore, Maddie Bartlett and Anna Chapman winning the silver medal and Paul Luttman, John Morris and Neil Crickmore with a bronze in the Men's Open.

Welcome to our new website

After many months of development we are pleased to present our new website which has been redesigned to adapt to many different devices and improve security.

All the content has been updated and the Forum has been replaced by Facebook.

Coaching

We currently aim to run monthly coaching sessions. If you are brand new to orienteering then these sessions can be a great way to get started and meet other people. We also provide excellent coaching for juniors and adults looking to improve their skills on any level of course. Karen Ashworth provides training for primary school aged children and Rob Lines and Will Heap provide training for anyone of secondary school age or adults, who can run at least run an orange on their own.

We also offer one to one mentoring and shadowing for older children and adults on an ad hoc basis. Please contact Tim Hulley if you would like to enquire about this. If you are brand new to orienteering then this can really help.

Popular Events

Many Southdowners travel further afield and take part in a wide variety of sociable multi-day events and alternative format races. Here are a few suggestions from around the UK.