Volunteers Week

Martin Dean

Martin has recently retired as co-ordinator of the Forth Valley Night Orienteering series, after 15 years at the helm. During his tenure, the series has grown from four races, attended by a handful of experienced orienteers, to a ten race series, stretching from mid-October until mid-March. The 2019/20 series attracted nearly 300 competitors, a quarter of them juniors, and over 30% female athletes. Martin has been the "go-to" guy for night orienteering in the local area, always eager to help new organisers with planning their courses, and passing on his vast knowledge of the local terrains.

Roger Goddard

Roger has played a leading role in the establishment of a structured junior development pathway programme in the West of Scotland, as lead coach to the Scotland West Area Team (SWAT) which comprises of junior athletes from a number of clubs, who are not yet ready for inclusion in the ScotJOS programme. As a former member of the GB Junior team, he is well-equipped to mentor young athletes who are taking their first steps towards representative team selection. His enthusiasm and willingness to pass on his knowledge is energising a new generation of grass-roots coaches.

Jon Cross

Jon plays a vital role in the success of FVO as a club, through his role as team captain. He chases, cajoles and persuades people to run as part of relay teams, emphasising the team nature of the sport. Under his stewardship, FVO teams claimed no fewer than 19 major relay medals in 2019, as well as the Scottish Inter-Club Championship and the Compass Sport Cup. He also played a leading role in publicising the sport to a wider audience, as event organiser and "front-man" for the JOK Chasing Sprint, which was televised by BBC's "The Adventure Show".

Trevor Hoey

Trevor's four year term as FVO President saw the club develop almost exponentially, from 135 members in 2016 to 224 by the end of 2019. During this time, the club organised at least one, and sometimes several major events each year, and Trevor was always available to give advice, particularly on Risk Assessment matters, despite having a job that took him out of the country for log spells of time.

He was a leading figure in ensuring that the club's governance was executed in an efficient manner, adhering to national guidelines, and this was reflected in the announcement that British Orienteering had recognised FVO as its Club of the Year for 2019.

Trevor also served for many years as a Controller at major events including the Scottish Championships and the Scottish Six Days, and was the results co-ordinator for the Scottish Orienteering League for many years.Although his work has now taken him to the bright lights of London, Travor remains a loyal member of FVO, and we hope to see him in the blue and gold again in future.