OnTarget is an AGB-funded development programme that clubs can sign up to with the aim of developing for the benefit of their members, surrounding communities, and archery as a sport. By engaging fully with OnTarget and the development pathway, clubs can enable better retention of members, reduced rate of churn and a positive, exciting atmosphere generated in the club that provides for an improved quality of experience for everyone involved.
OnTarget is a club development programme that clubs can engage with for the benefit of their club and members. Clubs taking part in the programme can hope to see better enjoyment, progression, and retention of members, a proactive, positive, and healthy atmosphere, and increased opportunities within the club.
In short, OnTarget is a way to proactively engage with Archery GB, to develop your own club. It's also a community of like-minded clubs to join and connect with, supported by a Development Officer, with access to the latest support and resources, plus help for clubs to provide the right activities, for the right people, at the right time, to see general club growth.
Since the OnTarget Archery Club Development Programme was first launched in 2010, there has been significant progress made by club volunteers that we want to recognise and celebrate, whilst incorporating new changes and improvements, through the launch of a refreshed OnTarget Programme.
For fully-affiliated clubs, joining OnTarget is a public pledge to be open and friendly as a club, to advance archery, and to work with Archery GB proactively and creatively towards a stronger club. Over 340 clubs have engaged with the programme in the past, and there has been extensive learning achieved, for diverse types of clubs: the large, the small, long established, and newer clubs.
We want to strengthen the delivery and support, refresh the parts we could improve, and look to make further improvements based on feedback and observations from the programme. In the Covid years, it was not possible for clubs to make OnTarget a high priority while they sought to focus on supporting their members and rebuilding activity levels. It is now the right time to refresh and relaunch a new OnTarget programme.
Each stage of the programme should bring about benefits to a club and will focus on helping clubs move beyond the initial joining stages, on to the specialisms, where the significant benefits are usually observed. To ensure resources are available in one place, there has been a new online resource area created for OnTarget Officers to access.
OnTarget is not an accreditation scheme, but rather than a development programme, providing a framework for clubs to proactively plan and pursue their own development goals, with the full support of the OnTarget community. 
When clubs ask the question “Why would we become part of OnTarget?” the answer is for a stronger, healthier club.
All clubs within Archery GB must meet minimum operating standards, but for clubs considering joining OnTarget, there is a desire to partner more closely with Archery GB staff, to work together with others in the archery community, to put the long-term effort in across the whole club, and to strive to be a ‘gold standard’ club.
In the first stages, clubs will ensure a healthy and well-balanced foundation is laid, before identifying which specialisms they will work towards – one at a time.
Getting involved in OnTarget means first defining the identity, values, and priorities of the club, then developing their OnTarget plan, and engaging in sustained efforts towards these goals, so each club will benefit in unique ways. But a healthier, stronger club is likely to be observed by
Clubs joining will be ready to engage the whole club committee in their goals to share the work, and to focus on real change within the club, working together on areas where they identify they want to try new ideas, or improve. Club committees will use the structure and resources of OnTarget, the breadth of experience in the OnTarget community, and full support from local Development Officers to create diverse and thriving clubs.
With the launch of the new programme, the following support will be in place:
We would look to add new benefits in future, as clubs engage with the programme, and we learn together.
The four specialisms are:
Each specialism is split into three ‘stages’ which a club works through in order, and at their own pace, with support from Development Officers to help the club keep progressing forwards. Once the first stage is complete, they would be classed as holding that specialism, as they continue into stages two and three. Clubs would need to continue progressing to renew a specialism, and renewals occur every three years.
Clubs start to engage with each specialism by demonstrating on their OnTarget plan how they have achieved each part of the stages, starting with stage one and working through the stages in order. Clubs will work on one specialism at a time but may hold more than one specialism eventually. There is no order to the specialisms, and no priority – it is the club’s choice what they work towards first. If a club chooses to stop progressing in one specialism, they may choose to let that lapse and work on a different specialism instead.
We encourage creative thinking around how a club meets each characteristic – what works in one local community and club, may not necessarily work in the next. Clubs can use the guidance and case studies to determine their own solutions.
Community specialism:
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Young People specialism:
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Progression specialism:
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Performance specialism:
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The new programme is designed to bring about benefits to clubs at all stages. First the club contacts a Development Officer, and next works through some foundational stages. Once complete, they will be identified as a club ‘working towards OnTarget’ when a club starts to work on one of the specialisms. The first joining stages will involve much closer support from Development Officers, and clubs can contact Development Officers as much as they need for any support as they work through the resources.
There is no time limit on how long a club can take to work through the initial stages as it is important that the whole of the committee take time to consider their future priorities and plans. Each club would name two ‘OnTarget Officers’ who have access to OnTarget online support resources.
To achieve the ‘Working towards OnTarget’ attribute, a club will work through:
Once all of the above is completed, the OnTarget plan is successfully emailed to their Development Officer, the club moves on to focus on their first specialism. 
From November 2025, OnTarget will be open for any club to join, even if they have never been a part of OnTarget before. From November onwards, please reach out to a Development Officer to ask them to come and present OnTarget to your club committee if you are thinking of joining.
In early 2026, as OnTarget will still be relatively new, to help launch the new programme there will be a series of in-person OnTarget Programme Development Days for clubs who join in 2025, or clubs who have expressed to a Development Officer that they have an interest in joining OnTarget. They will be free to attend, explain the new content, highlight and explain the specialisms, learn from real-life projects from clubs, discuss new ideas to shape the future direction of the programme, and possibly include input from guest speakers or offer workshops from external specialists.
Schedule of Development Days*
* All dates and locations are subject to change
We recognise there is travel involved in bringing clubs together in person but believe in the benefit of the OnTarget community so intend for these to move around the country, aiming to bring together as many like-minded clubs as possible, from the different areas. Forming a strong OnTarget community will be a priority.
We are open to hearing more development ideas for the future too. Please connect with a Development Officer to talk further about any aspect of joining OnTarget, or to discuss any other ideas for the future:
Ally Miller alexandra.miller@archerygb.org South West and South Wales
Helen Smedley helen.smedley@archerygb.org The Midlands and North & Mid Wales
Lisa Wheeler lisa.wheeler@archerygb.org Northern Ireland
Alex Wise alex.wise@archerygb.org Northern England
Jude Handley jude.handley@archerygb.org (Head of Clubs & Membership – national) 
