Beginner's Outside
Because the normal club capacity is limited, we decided in 2015 to create and "Outside Membership" opening up the possibility of archery through or club to more people who would be happy to shoot at our outdoor venue in Gt. Preston. A few club members already shoot on Sundays throughout the year whenever weather permits, but we do have the capacity for more outside members. So we now run our Beginner's Courses Outside at the Gt. Preston range.
This is open to anyone form the age of ten upwards[ 1 ] and is suitable for anyone with absolutely no, or very little experience in archery. The course consists of four sessions on Sundays (see below for dates) each lasting about three and a half hours (three hours tuition and a half hour break).
[ 1 ] Note: members as young as eight might be accepted at the club's discretion, if a parent/guardian is also on the same course, will always be at the course with the child throughout the whole session, or is an existing club member. Plus we consider that the child's physical stature is adequate for archery and that they have the correct attitude for their age to accept and follow instruction. This can be dangerous sport if instructions are not followed.
The aims of the course are to teach you the basics about the equipment used in archery and to steadily get you shooting safely. We will introduce the basics of the proper shooting techniques to get you to the point where you can safely shoot a bow and arrow to the minimum required level. On completion of the course you will receive a GNAS recognised certificate, which should be accepted by any archery club in the U.K. as proof of you meeting the minimum standard of archery. It will allow people who complete this course to join the Outside Membership of our own club. To comp-lete the course requires you to attend all four sessions. The first sessions is by far the most important and attendance is mandatory. The following sessions must also be attended, but if for some reason you cannot attend one, we may be able to offer you a catch-up session for an extra fee, if a time and venue can be agreed before the next session starts. Failure to attend all four sessions (or the catch-up session) will mean a failure for the course. You will then have to re-take the course at another time to obtain your certificate.
Several members of the club give up their free time to assist throughout the course, so each pupil will receive individual 1-on-1 instruction by a recognised GNAS coach. We might be a small club, but we are unusual in having have many official coaches (right up to level-4) within our membership.
There will also be short educational sections each session (usually during the refreshment break), where background and other relevant information is taught to the whole group.
Refreshments (hot/cold food and drink) are available at discounted prices from the on-site social club. Please note you may not purchase and drink alcohol, and then continue to shoot, so please restrict drinks to tea, coffee or soft drinks.
These courses are very friendly and progress at your own speed, to the point that extra sessions may be given to individuals if they feel they need more time to reach the required level.
Clothing
This is an outside course in a fairly exposed field. So wear clothing that is comfortable and allows freedom of movement, but is suitable for the conditions on the day. On cold/windy or changeable days, you may consider 'layering-up' to allow you to cater for changing conditions throught the afternoon. However, clothing should not be loose (you don't want it getting caught in the bow-string). Long hair should be fastened back or under a hat/cap. Loose jewellery and badges/broaches should be removed or tucked in. Due to the dangers of walking into a partially hidden arrow in the grass you cannot wear open-toed shoes. All footwear must be enclosed around the toes and ideally be stronger than canvas.
We will provide you with a quiver for your arrows, but if you have a narrow loose fitting belt of your own that you can bring it will be helpful. The club has a very few belts, but may not have anything suitable for you.
There are some clothing etiquettes for archery. Shoulders should be fully covered and no midriff on show. People on our courses are of mixed age, sex and backgrounds, so no inappropriate logos or similar on display. Please contact us if you have any questions about clothing requirements. We reserve the right to stop you from shooting if we feel your clothing is unsuitable or unsafe (especially unsafe footwear).
Fees
The price for the next Beginners' Course is Adult £50.00 and Junior (under 18) £40.00. Where two or more members of the same family do the course together, we will allow a £10 reduction for the second and any additional family members.
The price includes all archery education, hire of all the equipment you need during the course plus face fees.