Recently we spoke to Kay Hawke, Partnerships Manager at British Orienteering, asking how Beat the Street has positively impacted them. Here’s what she had to share:
British Orienteering’s partnership with Intelligent Health stemmed from the inaugural Burnley BTS game – at that time – a new concept to the local population, (and local orienteering club), who saw Beat the Street advertised and realised how similar the game was to orienteering!
British Orienteering have come to describe BTS as ‘orienteering by stealth’, where participants are taking part (and enjoy) a version of the sport, unbeknown to them. Post the 2021 Burnley BTS, free community ‘Come & Try It Orienteering Activities’ jointly delivered by British Orienteering, BTS and the local Active Partnership, helped build a legacy of orienteering and awareness of the sport.
Most importantly, thanks to our involvement with BTS from this point, the main benefit to ourselves as an NGB is a huge increase in our relationship with local community organisations and partners. Alexis Turner at Burnley BTS was instrumental in helping us build these relationships and this has been the blueprint for continuing this around the UK where BTS have delivered.
Thanks to closer relationships with IH and BTS, we are now more connected with local organisations and more importantly seen as a trusted partner and have more accessibility into our sport through BTS initiatives and legacy events. Knowing some time beforehand, there BTS will be taking place helps ourselves and local clubs be prepared to get local communities actives and be ale to plan suitable legacy events. Our work with IH continues to be a key part of our strategic aim to ‘Change The Perception’ of the sport and allows us access to communities we may not have been able to reach without the impact of BTS.
