We love our sport. We love the home that it provides for like-minded, active, outdoors-people who share an adventurous, independent spirit. We know that once they start, many orienteers are "chronic", and will seek out orienteering events almost every weekend. With so many of us losing so many of our past-times and outlets at the moment, we were really hoping that orienteering would find a way through.
Although orienteering may by the best-placed of sports to survive under the current COVID-19 pandemic (outdoors, individual etc), we can't under-estimate the risks that ANY reason to gather presents to the health of our community. We also can't ignore the high level of participation we get from older participants in the sport. As such, like most other sporting bodies, we're taking steps to prioritise public health and saving lives over physically gathering around the sport that we love.
Cancellation of SOS #6 and Highlands Forest Series #1
SHOO and Bold Horizons have already cancelled this coming weekend's SOS at St Greg's (forced by the closure of the college). This morning SHOO's committee released a statement regarding HFS#1 and the remining series:
It is with regret that SHOO must cancel our first Highland Forest Series event at Mt Annan on Sunday 5 April given the current advice on social distancing and the risk of infecting competitors and organisers with COVID-19.
All other events in the series are on hold and we will be guided by expert advice. However, we are being told that this situation could go on for 6 months or more.
Keep safe and fit, stay connected with us to pick up where we're leaving off, and look after each other,
SHOO Committee