Archery

Archery can take place indoors or outdoors so you can do it all year round. Plus it's incredibly sociable.

An Overview of Archery

It's a very low-impact sport which means anyone can take part whatever your fitness level.

Archery involves using a bow and arrow to hit a stationary target. Points are then scored based on the position the arrow lands on the target.

Have-a-go events and beginner's courses are regularly organised within clubs, youth groups, schools and holiday camps so even if you have never tried archery before, there are lots of ways to give it a go in a friendly environment.

The Archery GB Development Team is responsible for providing support to developing clubs, supporting schools better to deliver archery and introducing new young people to the sport, and improving the capacity of the sport through the development and support of coaches and volunteers.

Archery GB has a club development programme, ontarget. Through this programme, ontarget will provide clubs with three main benefits – Recognition, Rewards, Development. All Archery GB affiliated clubs are eligible to join at any time.

Benefits

Whole family activity
Upper body strength
Balance
Co-ordination

Costs

On joining an archery club, new members pay an annual subscription, which can vary from club to club. The subscription is paid to the club, county and regional associations, and also a portion is for the Archery GB affiliation fee. An annual cost of £100 for an adult member is about average, with reduced fees for juniors. Sometimes a club will offer a reduction for family membership.

For those entering the sport for the first time, archery equipment can prove expensive, but a club will lend equipment for a short time. As a guide, the cost of basic equipment (bow, arrows, arm guard, finger tab, quiver etc), will be approximately £100-£300. Second hand equipment can represent a significant saving but should always be considered only after an inspection by an experienced archer.

Adaptations and Equipment

Clubs will provide all equipment for the beginner's course and may lend equipment for up to 3 months after joining. Most archers choose to shoot the 'Recurve' bow, the modern version of the traditional Longbow.