Following the easing of restrictions in England from 1 June announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday evening (28 May) and the publication of detailed Government guidance on Sunday (31 May), Archery GB has updated its guidance on returning to archery.
England, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man
An update to the guidance was published on Thursday 4 June incorporating a change to coaching, which can now take place in group sizes of no more than six including coach(es). The updated government guidance can be viewed on the Gov.uk website under their guidance for 'Gatherings, public spaces and outdoor activities' (see 1.6) and in their information for the public for the 'Phased return of outdoor sport and recreation'. We have relaxed our guidance on coaching beginners who are part way through a beginners' course.
The gradual lifting of restrictions has also allowed us to recommend procedures for cleaning equipment to enable more of our newer members to return to archery. Archers can now return to archery if they don't have access to their own equipment and their club is able to implement the guidelines for cleaning equipment. Please remember that our clubs are run by volunteers and may not be able to implement these changes at this time.
We continue to work with Sport England and our key volunteers to prepare plans for the next phases of returning to archery. We are anticipating guidance will be released by DCMS for the opening of indoor facilities in the next couple of weeks, and we will aim to publish our response shortly after. The government has announced that the opening of indoor leisure facilities (where safe to do so and in line with social distancing) could take place from the 4 July as long as the virus remains under control.
The updated guidance can be downloaded below.
Northern Ireland
The Board of Archery Northern Ireland have been working closely with Sport Northern Ireland and local government representatives to ensure archery in Northern Ireland can restart. From Monday 8 June, Sport Northern Ireland has agreed that archery can resume in line with the guidance published by Archery GB which can be downloaded below. A copy of the Framework for Northern Ireland's Return to Sport can be accessed here. Please visit Archery Northern Ireland's website to keep up to date with the latest information.
Â
Scotland
Scottish Archery launched their guidance for the first phase of returning to archery in Scotland on the 29 May 2020, they continue to work with the Scottish Government and Sportscotland through this crisis.
To keep up to date please check the Scottish Archery website for further updates on resuming archery activity.
View the Scottish Archery Phase 1 guidanceÂ
View the Scottish Archery Phase 1 guidance - Return to coaching
Wales
There are currently no updates for returning to archery in Wales, all archery clubs should remain closed. The Welsh Archery Association will continue to work with Sport Wales over the coming weeks to ensure archery can resume as soon as possible. The Welsh Government are set to announce the next review of lockdown measures on the 18 June. For the latest information please visit: www.welsharcheryassociation.com
Useful websites:
Supporting disabled people and people with long-term health conditions back to archery.
Archery is an inclusive sport and Archery GB are proactively working on solutions to ensure people in situations of disability can continue to participate safely in archery. We are working with Sport England and the Activity Alliance to create guidance to offer practical solutions to clubs, coaches and members to ensure our sport remains as inclusive and as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. These will be published shortly.
To keep up to date with the latest information regarding coronavirus please visit www.archerygb.org/covid19 Â
