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Manchester & District
Orienteering Club

John Britton wins BOF’s inaugural ‘Continued Contribution to Orienteering’ Award

What has John not done!

New for 2021, this BOF award recognises and celebrates the volunteer efforts of those in our sport who contribute greatly, often behind the scenes, over an extended period of time.

Read more ... to see just how much John has done (and still does) for MDOC & GMOA over the last 20+ years!

Congratulations John on winning this award!

20th Apr 22

Map Library and Permanent Orienteering Courses.  John is responsible for printing, map library, and (external) development of the new website and manages payments of maps.  John developed the Postwatchers portal.  Carries out maintenance of 56 sites over a wide area of ten Manchester County Boroughs and Cheshire.  In 2011, John had sent out by post 14000 maps in the past four years and in 2011 produced a new map of Amberswood.  Previously John has done regular map surveys and updates for several years before that.  He maintains a huge amount of data about every Permanent Orienteering Course, provides regular updates and individual post photographs, acts on Postwatchers reports, and cleans, maintains, and replaces damaged posts, largely on his own.  John paints all posts, including the 'O' symbol.  Pioneered the use of QR-coded plaques on all posts at every Permanent Orienteering Course.  This is well over 1,000.  These publicise the Permanent Orienteering Courses to park users, who on scanning the QR code with their phone are taken to a webpage to get a map. The 56 areas are constantly changing, to maintain the quality of the Orienteering experience for map buyers it is essential to keep them up to date.  No map is static for more than a year, most are updated more frequently by John.  He liaises with South East Lancs. Orienteering Club and Manchester and District Orienteering Club for major map resurveys.  In the Greater Manchester Orienteering Association's Annual Report 2020-21, highlighted that John had done 119 Permanent Orienteering Course site visits for maintenance alone. 

Club committee - Club Chair for three years.  Since 2010, John has been Vice-Chair of the Greater Manchester Orienteering Association. Committee member. Mentor and coach to International Orienteers.  No one in our club works harder.  

Coaching - John started helping Manchester and District Orienteering Junior Club. He helped with the North-West Junior squad starting in 2002.  Level 2 in 2003 and Level 3 in 2007. Coached at the British Orienteering training event organised in the Lakes in April 2008.  2009 organised club coaching day at Bouth woods about 20 attended. Ran club coaching days at Halkyn mountains 2012, Lakes, and weekends in Scotland.  Helped at Lagganlia from 2011 to 2014.  In 2009, ran a course - 'Intro to OCAD'.  John was the Organiser of the Sprint event at M/C Univ.  Planned NWNL event at Watergrove.  2010 - Ultrasprint planned in Macclesfield. Produced the map, and planned three courses together with designing and building the Maze. 

Planner - for first Stockport Urban 2008. Offerton Sprint 2016, both days. Twin Peaks (Angle Tarn and Place Fell) 2004.  Co-planner British Champs at High Dam 2017, OMM 2019 Largs.  Planned multiple Night Street League Events and Countryside Score Events.  2017, John had spent a year planning an excellent set of courses in the highly technical area of High Dam for the British Champs.  Elite runners said: "it was the best course they had run all year". May 2017 level A planning British Champs Offerton.   

Controller - Grade B 2011, Grade A 2015. Several Capricorns, JK Sprint Lancaster Uni 2015, British Sprint Champs Loughborough Uni 2019, Lakes 5 days, Angle Tarn 2018 & Grizedale 2014.  Tockholes PFO 2010. 2012 Introduced and coordinated the NW Urban League 6 events based in the region. In 2013, John was involved in organising school events at Bramhall Park.  

Organising - of the Twin Peaks2015. Also planned reserve area for 2014 Lakes 5 Days. Recently Northwich Urban, Pendle Fell, Big Moor. 2016 responsible for Sprints at Leeds Uni.  

Mapping – John learned OCAD in Portland in 1995, and wrote a new map of Hoyt Arboretum, later used for the World Masters Games. MDOC Night Street League.  John is involved at every level. The mapping standards and planning are regulated by John to ensure competition is fair and understood by all. 

Social Media/Information & Communication Technology - 2015 ran the club's Facebook Page.  Formed a media sub-committee to share ideas and work concerned with Facebook and Twitter.  2015 Trialled the MOBO app organised the first local MOBO event in Burrs Park Bury in 2016. Wrote a detailed guide on how to use MOBO.  In 2020 John was closely involved with the production and promotion of the 4 Getting Started Sport England videos. They have been used by other clubs and praised by local schools. He also wrote a detailed guide on how to use them.  

Congratulations John on winning this award! 

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