Last summer, Archery GB launched a Rebuild Activity Fund, offering financial support to clubs that were struggling to stay afloat. We are now delighted to announce a second round of funding for clubs in need.
Archery GB has now launched the ‘Rebuild Activity Fund - Round 2', which will prioritise inclusion to help support clubs and members - new and old - to get back to the sport on an equal footing.
As the sport begins to reopen, it will feel to some like having to start again, and club officials may have to reassure many members that archery is welcoming to all and safe. Archery is an inclusive sport, but sometimes without careful consideration of everyone's needs, inequalities can potentially arise. This fund will hopefully help clubs address some of these inequalities.
Many clubs were successful in their applications last year, and we were thrilled to be able to offer a lifeline during a very difficult time. Here's some club feedback from those who benefited:
Robert Oates, Club Secretary of Ledbury Archery Club, was able to purchase a flatbed trolley, sanitising materials and equipment for the range, after being approved for Rebuild Activity Funding last November.
Robert said: Â"Our investment in a four-wheeled trolley, our main expense, improved the process of safely moving our stands, bosses and auxiliary equipment from their storage place out onto the archery field. This has saved damage and deterioration to the equipment and potential injury to members because previously equipment had to be carried up to 80 metres before being set in place. Sometimes our range is quite sodden underfoot, but the trolley can cope with this. It helps maintain proper social distancing, as wheeling the trolley is a one-person activity and it also saves potential strain injury to members distributing equipment while setting up the range, allowing frailer members to help in the setting up process.
Â"It is part of general improvement of facilities to make it a more pleasant place to shoot and rebuild our club activity levels. We are looking forward to satisfying the demand for taster sessions, beginners' courses and boosting membership numbers this summer. Every little helps.”
[caption id="attachment_26646" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ledbury Archery Club invested some of the money from the Rebuild Activity Fund on a trolley to improve the process of safely moving equipment onto the archery field[/caption]
Peter Gregory, Chair of Goldcrest Archers in Cheshire, said: Â"Our club lost its fantastic indoor shooting venue early last year due to a fire on the industrial site where we are based. All the equipment was destroyed - our targets and stands went up in flames. As a very active club which constantly runs beginners' courses, we felt the need to continue this pattern to help the community to still get involved in archery.
Â"Fortunately we have a lovely outdoor shooting venue that our members love, and it was decided that we would run future courses outdoors. This is something we have never done owing to our unpredictable weather. The problem then was that we needed new bosses and stands, six in total, to run the course.
Â"We have combined the Rebuild fund with our own money to buy the bosses, and a couple of members have since made the stands. Thank you Archery GB for helping us to keep going.”
Please click here to apply for the Rebuild Activity Fund - Round 2Â
