Archery GB Club Ambassador Hugh Cunning explains why he devotes his free time to helping others in the sport.
"The Archery GB Club Ambassador programme was brought to my attention by one of the other coaches. They had seen the request in Archery World magazine, and knew I was in Scouting: for my sins, I am Assistant District Commissioner for Activities in Cheshire and still an Assistant Scout Leader at a local group in Chester.
"I thought the AGB Ambassador role would dovetail nicely with the Scout roles, helping with how we approach the sport and other activities within the Scouts, and also with how we work with youth membership. The common Scouts phrase of 'You Shape' [which refers to young people working together with volunteers to shape, influence, and lead their adventure] is used frequently to drive Scouts' activity programmes, and I thought the principle would carry over into my role as an archery ambassador.
"I became an ambassador in 2019. Initially I met up with other ambassadors face to face, and we had a few fun learning sessions at Archery GB's Lilleshall HQ. It was interesting to hear other archers' problems in terms of clubs and member retention. We also got to meet the current Olympic team for a chat!
"When Covid began, we did the meet-ups online, and took the opportunity to try some of the new courses, like Empowering Archery, which was more important than ever with getting everyone back to the sport.
"If you want to do something more than just shoot, give Archery GB's Ambassador programme a try. It will give you some new ideas and new friends. The programme itself requires just a few meetings per year, giving you the tools to make an impact back at your club. If you feel you haven't got a voice, the training and experience on the Ambassador programme will help with that. It's somewhere for like-minded people to share ideas and help each other."
Inspired? Check out our volunteering page here for more information about finding a role that's right for you.
And if you already volunteer in the sport, please spread the word to friends and family and encourage others to join us in rebuilding archery.
Don't forget to nominate a Volunteer of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year in Archery GB's Awards 2021 - nominations are open until 31 July. Find out more on our dedicated awards page here.
Are you an archery volunteer? Please complete our survey, below, which will be used to showcase the roles filled by our different volunteers, highlighting how they got into volunteering and why they enjoy it. This will give us a better understanding of our volunteering community. Why do you volunteer? survey (surveymonkey.co.uk)
This summer, Archery GB will once again be leading the Big Weekend event (9 - 11 July), which this year will be preceded by The Big Week (5 - 9 July), encouraging even more people to have a go at the inclusive sport. Why not get involved in volunteering by organising a Big Week or Big Weekend activity at your club to encourage other people to try archery? More information is available here.
