Drew Tivendale
Role: Planner
Club: Maroc
Drew’s role is to plan the 24 courses needed for Day 2.
“My family brought me along to events when I was a child. Been orienteering to some extent ever since. Finished 3rd as an M11 at the 1985 Tayside 6 Day event.
“I was an assistant controller at Moray 2013.”
Tim Griffin
Role: Controller
Club: Gramp
Tim’s role is making sure the courses are safe and fair and all the controls are in the right place.
“I started orienteering as a student but got hooked when I moved to Scotland in 1982.
“Biggest achievements were winning the CompassSport Trophy with STAG and the 14 person relay with Gramp.”
Tim’s thoughts on the 6 Days;
“It’s a chance for thousands of orienteers from many different countries to run on some of Scotland’s best areas. I’ve been helping since 1993 and enjoy being part of something that’s lasted this long.”
Sue Barrie
Role: Day Organiser
Club: MAROC
“The buck stops with the DO! I am responsible for event safety, having an emergency plan of evacuation and managing a team of around 70 volunteers. Everything that happens before the start of a competitor’s race and after their finish – from getting all the maps and clocks in place for the first start, to checking that every last competitor has finished. Keeping the toilets supplied with loo roll is possibly the most important job of all!
“I was introduced to orienteering at around age 10 back in the days of master maps and pin punches. I’ve never been very fast – as a teenager I couldn’t really see the point of rushing about! After a long long lull in activity I was keen to introduce our children to the sport, and have been very active in the club since. My biggest achievement was managing a club team that came second in the CompassSport Trophy competition in 2022.
“The S6Ds has a wonderful holiday atmosphere. I have been DO twice before, and it’s incredibly satisfying seeing all your plans coming to fruition. It’s also a wonderful experience managing a team of such willing volunteers – everyone genuinely wants it all to work like clockwork.
“Alongside organising Day 2, I am also working with MAROC to make the S6Ds more accessible to local people who have not orienteered much before.”
Richard Oxlade
Multiple Roles: Day 2 Controller
(as well as being the Event Co-ordinator and Treasurer)
Club: ESOC
“As coordinator my main role is to put together a Central Organising Team (known as the COT) and to ensure the whole event runs smoothly. This covers a period of 1-2 years which includes preparations for the event, the week itself and wrapping up afterwards. This year I am also managing and tracking the budget with help from Alan MacGregor who is handling invoicing for us. Finding suitably qualified controllers has also proved tricky for Deeside and I am supporting Tim Griffin as a Day 2 controller.
“Started about 40 years ago in the south of England when it proved impossible to get to the hills every weekend and my wife and I were looking for an outdoor activity with less travel.
“[I] can’t say that I can look back on any particular achievement – I think my main accomplishment has been finding a sport that has taken me to many different places with some fun competition with my peers and some lifelong friends.”
Richard on the 6 Days;
“It’s a great festival of orienteering. An opportunity to have a great holiday, to orienteer in some great areas in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and to catch up with old friends. I’ve volunteered most years since 1999 as a planner, organiser or controller. This is my 3rd time as Event Coordinator – following on from a couple of challenging years: 2015 (WOC), and 2021 (COVID).
“The 6 Days is quite a complicated sporting event – multi day, many facets, hundreds of volunteers and not without its challenges. It’s exciting to see it come together, and very rewarding to see everyone (well almost everyone!) having a great time.”