Celebrating Volunteers – Day 4 – East Lothian Orienteers
With Volunteers’ Week taking place from 1-7 June, through our website we’re celebrating many of the volunteers who help make orienteering in Scotland great. Today we’re highlighting volunteers from East Lothian Orienteers, so thank you to Michael Atkinson and Jamie Wilson!
As with many orienteering clubs, ELO is in the lucky position of having a strong pool of volunteers – ranging from the exceptional expertise and dedication of Sheila and Robin Strain to many new members who value the fact that orienteering is a volunteer-driven sport.
The two members ELO has chosen to highlight this time both find time out from busy work commitments to help in varying roles – they are Michael Atkinson and Jamie Wilson.
ELO volunteer profiles
Volunteer’s Name:
Michael Atkinson
How long have they been a club member?
5 years
How do they support the club and orienteering?
Michael was quick to volunteer first as a helper at events and then as a reliable course planner.
What makes them shine as a volunteer?
Michael is especially appreciated for the work he does on ELO’s website to continue its improvement from being virtually moribund just a few years ago, and for finding time to reach a wider target audience through social media.
Volunteer’s Name:
Jamie Wilson
How long have they been a club member?
3 years
How do they support the club and orienteering?
Jamie has been a member for just a couple of years. He is always amongst the first to step forward when a call goes out for helpers.
What makes them shine as a volunteer?
He is a cheery presence who arrives early and stays late and isn’t picky about which jobs he will take on.
As an experienced athletics coach he is very good at explaining the basics to newcomers at events and not baffling them with extraneous detail. The photo shows Jamie being cheerful despite the rain at the first event he planned for ELO!
A huge thank you to both of them! We’ll be profiling other volunteers throughout the week and if you want to make sure your club highlights the work of volunteers, please email denise@scottish-orienteering.org.