There has been no event in the previous 12 months after the staging of the 21st Scottish 6 day event on Royal Deeside in August 2017. The financial outcome from Royal Deeside was expected to be a small loss but, in the event, a surplus of £9,000 was made. This better than projected result was due to a higher than expected level of late entries and entries on the day plus the release of various contingencies that were not eventually required. This outcome enabled a payment to be made to Scottish clubs, as in previous years, for their assistance in staging the event.
The venue for the 6 Days in 2019, Strathearn 2019, will be Perthshire with an event centre at Morrison’s Academy in Crieff. An event campsite has been arranged at Comrie Croft with no financial risk to the 6 Day Company. The event will take place between 28 July and 3 August 2019 with the coordinator being Terry O’Brien. Six event areas and two reserve areas were identified after a number of potential areas had to be discarded due to access issues and conflicts with other uses of the areas. The list includes some new areas and will involve different types of terrain over the course of the week. An application has been made to stage two World Ranking Events as well as two UK Orienteering League days during the week.
The Board has had discussions regarding a venue for 2021 and it has been agreed in principle to hold the event in the Fort William area. A coordinator has still to be appointed and expressions of interest for this post will be made through the SOA website.
In August 2018 we were advised that the Company’s application, on behalf of British Orienteering, to stage the World Orienteering Championships in 2022 had been successful. This event will be include individual and relay sprint races and will be held in Edinburgh. This is an exciting prospect and will involve Scottish clubs, and the Edinburgh clubs in particular, in the staging of the event. There is a financial risk in hosting this event but, with significant financial support from EventScotland and the City of Edinburgh, and based on preliminary planning and financing arrangements, it is not expected that this will have an adverse financial impact on the Company’s balance sheet position. The application to the IOF had the backing of the SOA, British Orienteering and the University of Edinburgh as well as our financial partners and will take place in early July with race venues including the iconic old town as well as more straightforward campus type areas.
There have been no changes to the Board over the year. I would like to thank the Directors and co-opted members for their work and support in advancing the Company’s aims. I would also like to thank the Events Officer of the SOA, Colin Matheson, for his contribution to the 6 day Company.