Austria's Focus Group
The focus group was conducted in May 2025, with people ranging in age from 19-71 discussing their experiences and perceptions of οrienteering with valuable insights based on the Austrian context. Furthermore, the focus group expressed eagerness to practise orienteering in nature-based settings primarily in the spring season, as they saw it as an opportunity to enjoy nature, have physical activity and fun with friends in small groups of three. They believe that it would be the best way to develop further friendships and create lasting memories while having to overcome the challenges together, and enjoying beautiful nature sceneries especially next to water by lakes, rivers or with green views.
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​Beyond Maps is co-funded by the European Union.
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Latvias's Focus Group
The focus group conducted in May 2025, involved active runners discussing their experiences and perceptions of orienteering. While all participants engaged in running multiple times a week, their exposure to orienteering varied significantly, from frequent and occasional participation to rogaining events (a type of orienteering) to one-time or no experience.
A recurring theme among several participants was a preference for pure running without the added cognitive demands of map reading and decision-making. As one participant expressed, “When I run, I like just running and not doing anything else. In orienteering, there is too much mental effort”
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​Beyond Maps is co-funded by the European Union.
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Greece's
Focus Group
The focus group of Greece, organised by 4C in March 2025, collected a diverse group of participants involved in youth work, outdoor sports, scouting, and education. Held at the office of 4C, the organisation welcomed the participants who had different experiences with sport.
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​The majority of the participants had little to no previous experience with orienteering as a formal sport. However, a few of them had indirect exposure through scouting, educational outdoor activities or previous experience in physical activities. Although most participants were unfamiliar with orienteering as a sport, the general concept was associated with navigation skills, map reading, and adventure. Participants found the promotion of adventure and competition through the completion of different checkpoints within a limited time appealing.
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​Beyond Maps is co-funded by the European Union.
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Kick-Off Meeting
On the 11th and 12th of January, all partners from the Beyond Maps project met for the kick-off meeting in Athens.
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Hosted by 4C, the kick-off meeting created and welcoming and collaborative environment wherein all partners could discuss the ins and outs of the project.
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A project overview was discussed, along with project management elements such as a timeline, budget, planning and scheduling. This kick-off meeting formed the foundation of the project's management and developed the ideas of all the collaborative aspects of the project.