The eight-page Jun 2010 edition of the CONTACT Newsletter has been produced by the Publicity Officer. Just some of the articles include:

• Sep 10 RAF Champs to be held at Woolmer.
• Scottish President's Award for Buck Rodgers. 
• RAFO Training Camp 2010.
• A spot of rankings analysis.
• Paths to orienteering excellence #1 - Ade Chapman
• Fixture report on the RAF Honington Spring Sprints
• Ben Livesey takes on M21 Black - and enjoys the map
• Forthcoming fixtures
• Slightly amusing leg by leg account of the Harvester Relay
• Details of the RAFO Tour to Venice

> View/download CONTACT [PDF 800 KB]

This is a request to all OIC's or anybody interested in reviving military orienteering in the East of England in 2010/11.

If 4/5 RAF stations put on an event, combined with the LEIOC mid week winter league events and 5 Div events, we could get some regular runs going for a change. Both RAF Honington and RAF Marham are willing to run a couple of events.

As previously requested if you could use the forum to start with to see what stations are able, you could also check the RAFO O calendar to de-conflict against any major events.

If anyone is interested please contact Dai Wilson on 95951 7885.

Dai Wilson

Long-time RAFO stalwart Flt Lt Mike ‘Buck’ Rodgers of RAF Kinloss has had his commitment to the wider sport recognised
with the prestigious Scottish Orienteering Association President’s Award.

In addition to his tireless promotion of the military sport, Buck is also a bedrock of his local civilian club, and was responsible for developing the link between Moray schools and the Moray Orienteering Club. He instigated the Forres School Championships, now an annual event mirrored by Elgin and Lossiemouth schools. He also started a monthly Saturday league with a beginners' course and a tougher short course for developing juniors, attracting upto 100 participants each week.

His commitment to grass-roots participation is also paying off at the elite end of the sport, with three primary school Moravians winning silver in the junior relay at the British Relay Orienteering Championships RAF orienteers all offer Mike our heartiest congratulations on this overdue recognition of his contribution to the sport.

24 hours - 100 miles - 15 support runners - 8 horses - 1 challenger

On 19 Jun 10 Flt Lt Geoff Ellis of JSU Corsham will set off on the White Horse Trail in Wiltshire in aid of RAFA. Exercise White Horse will take Geoff through the Vale of the White Horse in Wiltshire visiting eight White Horses carved into the landscape.

The challenge will take Geoff up Caen Hill and its impressive flight of locks, through Devizes and onto the Wessex Ridgeway before continuing on to Marlborough. He will visit Pewsey before returning to the Kennet and Avon Canal and then onto Wansdyke. He will traverse through rich countryside before seeing Devizes for a second time and back along the Canal to take in the Imber Range as part of Salisbury Plain.

The final White Horse is at Westbury, a place Geoff has visited for years, and will bring him within touching distance of completing the trip of 160km with 2000m of climb in less than 24 hours.

This undertaking will be extremely arduous and Geoff is will be supported along each leg of the run by RAFO Members. There are 15 legs in total ranging up to 14km in length.

The run will start at 0430 on 19 Jun 10 and finish in the early hours of 20 Jun.

The aims of the event are:

1.             To promote the RAF.
2.             To promote RAFA.
3.             To promote RAFO.
4.             To raise funds for RAFA. 

Please dip deep into your orienteering suits for this good cause - you can donate online and also claim Gift Aid at:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/WhiteHorseChallenge

On behalf of:

Geoff Ellis
D G ELLIS
Flt Lt
DIO Ops Sustainment
Military: 94382 3311