2018 Summer Archery UK MagazineCover

Official magazine of Archery GB

Cover teasers

Summer stunner: Medals galore at home and abroad. AGM: Full report and prize winners. Target panic: How to tackle it. Countdown to all the season's big events. Inside: Win a fantastic Matthews TRX38 compound bow.

Cover photo credits:

Title: Untitled.Picture: Malcolm Rees.

Editor's letter

Welcome.

It's summer, and we have a bumper issue packed with goodies. We have teamed up with our friends at Mathews to give you the chance to win a fantastic TRX38 bow worth more than £1,000. All you have to do is answer one easy question to be in with a chance of winning and dazzling your clubmates with the very latest equipment. Turn to the new products section to find out more.

We have all the reports from the AGM and what members thought of the first Strategic Advisory Group meeting. We look at some of the summer's big events: the Big Weekend, the Youth Festival and the Disability Championships as well as getting tips from the experts and advice on how to tackle target panic.

And of course, we have all your latest news, tournament reports and medal updates.

Have a great summer.

Jane PercivalEditor

Contents

4 News12 News: Obituaries13 The way back: Overcoming target panic16 Big weekend17 AGM26 History27 Juniors29 Field31 Disabilities32 Sport: Participation37 Sport: Pathway38 Sport: Performance44 Tournaments47 Experts54 Mailbag56 Your pictures61 New products65 Membership68 Rule changes

75 Board77 Commercial78 Records and achievements90 And Finally91 Sponsors

Separate documents

2018 Summer Tournament Diary: Archery UK Magazine2018 Summer Directory: Archery UK Magazine

Production information

Publisher

Produced on behalf of Archery GB by: TRMG Ltd, 1 Forum Place, Hatfield, Herts AL10 0RN. Tel: 01707 273 999. TRMG web site: www.trmg.co.uk .

Publishing Director: Jon FellowsOperations Director: Andrew StevensHead of Production: Charles DragazisProject Manager: Stefan GlosbyDesign: Paul HansonSenior Commercial Manager: Steve Chambers

Disclaimer

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the organisers Archery GB and the publishers TRMG cannot accept liability for any statement or error contained herein © 2018.

Printing

The paper used for printing this magazine has been sourced from sustainably managed forests in accordance with the ISO 14001 and EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) standards, which are internationally recognised and externally audited integrated environmental management systems.

Published for:

Archery GB, Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre, Newport, Shropshire TF10 9AT. Tel: 01952 677888. AGB web site: www.archerygb.org . Email: magazine@archerygb.org. See also the Directory document for individual staff contact details.

Correspondence

Correspondence with regard to Archery UK including mailing list queries and enquiries about advertising, should be addressed to Archery GB at the address above.

Copy deadline for the autumn edition:

9 August 2018.

AGB disclaimer

Archery UK is the Official Magazine of Archery GB and is read by all members. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, however caused. Letters, articles and features do not necessarily represent the opinion of Archery GB.

The decision whether or not to include material submitted for inclusion (whether advertising or otherwise) shall be entirely at the discretion of the Editor and/or the Marketing Manager. No responsibility can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork, editorial or advertising material in transmission or with the publishers or their agents, although every care will be taken to ensure safe return of items requested to be returned.

© 2018 Archery GB

News

On target: Clubs spring into action for Sport Relief

Goldcrest Archers

Photo: Hazel Chaisty and Goldcrest members about to top the target.

Archers rallied to Sport Relief's cause, and the charity's coffers have been boosted by the proceeds of Goldcrest Archers' 10,000 arrows in 24 hours event.

It all started when GB para international Hazel Chaisty was asked to open Sport Relief 2018 at Marple Hall School, Greater Manchester, during an assembly. "The children put me on the spot." She said. "They wanted to know what I would be doing for Sport Relief and I had to think quickly.

"I put it to my club, Goldcrest Archers in Hyde, that we could challenge ourselves to shoot 10,000 arrows in 24 hours. I had no idea how many club members would help me and was delighted to find almost too many to fit into our club space.

"We shot our 10,000 arrows with eight hours to spare, so we carried on to see how many we could shoot in the 24 hours. The last volley of arrows gave us 13,510 and I couldn't be prouder of my club.

"We also raised more money by selling Easter eggs and we are still collecting with the 'how many steps will Jonnie take' Sport Relief sweepstake poster.

"I'm hopeful that our total will go beyond £1,500. I know this is a drop in the ocean but the ocean is made of all those drops isn't it?

"Thank you to Archery GB and Sport Relief for nudging me out of my comfort zone and up in front of a hall full of children. It’s been a riot."

Bowbrook Archers

Photo: Bowbrook's record braekers.

Goldcrest was not the only club to answer the call. Bowbrook Archers in Shropshire did too, and three of them set new world records for shooting continuously for 31 hours.

Sam Dixon, Neil Clarke and James Beckett accepted the challenge, shooting a combined total of 4,797 arrows, scored 35,411 points and each walking over 12 miles between the shooting line and the targets.

Neil's record was 31 hours of archery with a longbow, James's for shooting compound and 62-year-old Sam set two records; for recurve and for someone classed as a veteran.

Neil said "Bowbrook is a community club. We try to do things to put archery out into the community and get people involved. At the open day, we had various archery-led challenges, a bring and buy sale and refreshments. It was one big Sport Relief weekend.

"The club has so far raised £800 for Sport Relief, with money still coming in."

King of the Walk: Alan steals the show at Richmond

As shoots go, the King's Walk is one of the most unusual, and fun, in Royal Richmond Archery Club's calendar.

Rules of the two-way shoot, which has its origins in the French court, were passed to club members during a visit several years ago to Richmond's twin town of Fontainebleau.

Only one arrow is released at a time on this 50-metre shoot. There are no sighters and only 20 arrows in total, or 12 if the weather is bad, and competitors have to walk between two targets at either end of the field. The target face is a little different too. The scores range from one to four; and line cutters are scored down, not up.

The first archer to get their arrow dead centre is instantly declared king or queen and shooting stops. And that is no mean feat so it is no surprise that no one has managed to do it in the years since the shoot started.

This year more than 40 archers took part. Medals were handed out for the highest scores but it was the club's equipment officer, Alan Cumbers, who stole the show. He was unanimously declared king, having twice shot a near perfect arrow with his longbow.

That's just a little too close: Great accuracy proves expensive

Alan Hodgson

Alan Hodgson of Priory Archers is really looking forward to getting back outdoors; because shooting indoors is starting to prove very expensive.

"I've already trashed two arrows this year," said Alan, who was a regular guest at the Redcar Multisports Archery Club in February. "Now I have gone and shot a full Robin Hood.  It makes a great photo but I can't afford to keep shooting at this range much longer."

Lorna Grossner

Lorna Grossner of Soar Valley Archers in Leicestershire makes her own arrows for her horse bow. Perhaps it is as well because she managed to wreck a couple while shooting at a Worcester face.

John Ferris

Coventry Archery Club's John Ferris was having a particularly good evening's shooting and was delighted when he Robin Hooded his own arrow. It was only when other members started congratulating him that it dawned on him that the arrows were brand new.

Robert Jones

Another archer regretting the consequences of his pinpoint accuracy is Robert Jones of Redruth Archers. Collette O'Shea captured the moment just before he realised he would have to replace his brand new arrows.

Robert Heyes

Robert Heyes of White Rose in West Yorkshire is feeling a little guilty. He said: "I rent a club bow and arrows so feel a little guilty for smashing an arrow. The other is wedged in and won't budge, so it's a nice souvenir to keep. Everyone said I should send the picture in to Archery UK, so here it is. Shame it wasn't in the centre."

Martin Piggott

Martin Piggott, joined Thirsk Bowmen last summer. He picked up the sport quickly; and it did not take him long to find out that there can be some hidden costs when your grouping is a little too good.

David Bourne

Dave Bourne of High Elm Archers at Hightown, Merseyside, achieved his Robin Hood as he shot a Portsmouth at the club's winter quarters at Ince Blundell Village Hall.

Ben Ledwick

Ben Ledwick was left counting the cost of his accuracy at Eagle Bowmen, Bedford.

The in-betweeners: Competition targets intermediate archers

There are events for experienced archers. Increasingly, there are events for novices too. But what about those in between? Durham and Northumberland Archery Association might have the answer.

Four clubs, Aycliffe Archers, Heugh Bowmen, Norton Archers and Priory Archers, set up the Teeside Indoor League and trialled an intermediate category for those in their second and third years of shooting during this year's indoor championship. It proved a huge success.

Organiser Karen Relton of Heugh Bowmen has been overwhelmed with interest from other clubs. She said: "We knew there was demand, but spaces for this year's final match filled up in a week. I'm very happy we've been able to provide something so positive for our newer archers and we hope to make the league even better going forward."

Rhiannon Beckett, an intermediate member of Norton Archers, said: "It's really important to keep people interested. Karen's done a fantastic job and I'd like to thank her and the host clubs for all their work. Everyone's had great fun."

So how did it work? Each of the matches was a Portsmouth round and the top four novice scores and top four intermediate scores made up the two teams per club, using handicap allowances to account for different bow styles. With seven points available for the first placed team in each match, five for a second place and three for a third place, Heugh Bowmen eventually won the novice league with a total of 19 points and Norton Archers won the intermediate league, also with 19 points.

Individual awards were presented for the highest score in each category, for the most improved handicap, and for demonstrating excellent sportsmanship during league participation.

Not everything went to plan though. The weather played its part. The so-called Beast from the East meant that the trophies and medals did not arrive in time. So Karen spent the evening creating cardboard awards to stand in for those on order. And they proved to be such a hit that the final ones might just take a backseat in the trophy cabinets.

50 golden years for Caldy Bowmen

Congratulations to Caldy Bowmen Archery Club which is celebrating its golden jubilee. It was formed by Colonel 'Bunny' Trueman, his wife Marcia and friends at Paton Field on the Wirral Peninsula and has grown into a well-respected and friendly club with around 60 members.

Each year it holds an indoor tournament that regularly attracts almost 200 archers from across the North West and, because it is non-record status, it gives less experienced archers the chance to gain vital competition experience.

It holds two beginners' courses each year, along with a number of archery taster sessions, all under the watchful eye of experienced coaches. They include Joan Platt, one of the club's founder members, who is in her 80s and still coaches at county level.

Close call: How an 'archery injury' saved Paul

When left-handed Burscough archer Paul Wieckowicz developed inflammation and tenderness on his chest, he simply put it down to occasionally being caught by his bowstring. He started wearing a chest guard and thought no more about it.

When the inflammation did not clear up, his wife packed him off to the GP. It was one of the best decisions she ever made.

The GP was not convinced by his explanation either and sent him for a chest x-ray. It revealed a small tumour on his lung and a biopsy led to a diagnosis of early stage lung cancer.

Soon after, Paul was having surgery to remove half of his left lung.

He said: "During the post-op discussions with the surgeon, I asked what would have been the outcome if I had not had cause to see my GP and he hadn't referred me when he did. The surgeon replied: 'Had you waited until symptoms were apparent, nine to 12 months would have passed. I would still have seen you and probably operated on you. But it would have been too late for you.'

"I cannot praise the NHS highly enough. Shortly after the operation a further biopsy confirmed that I was totally clear. When it comes to cancer care, as this case shows, everything moves along very quickly indeed. From diagnosis to surgery was less than two months."

Of course, being a dedicated archer, there was one more question that needed an answer; and quickly. When could he start shooting again? "The surgeon said: 'Restart any time, you won't do any damage now, but it will be very painful.' He was right about that.

"Now I have to work on my lung function but nevertheless restarted back to my beloved archery just two months after major surgery."

It's a cracker

More than 50 members turned out for this year's Ballyvally Easter Bunny Shoot, a cracking way to get some practice in for upcoming field shoots.

There were some terrific performances, particularly by the club's younger members and, while the scores were being collated, there was a knockout competition.

The winners of the under 10 class were Scarlet Dodds and Robert Henry, while the under 14 winners were Sienna Foster and Bailey Kelly. The under 18 class was won by Peter Stribblehill and Caoimhe Heaney. Senior winners included barebow archers Craig McCreery and Angela Cowan while Geraldine Corr and Kim Pegrum took traditional and sights honours respectively.

Celebrating liberation: Jersey marks national day in style

Liberation Day. It is celebrated on 9 May and is the national day of both Jersey and Guernsey.

Why? Because it marks the day when the islands were freed from German occupation at the end of World War Two. So it is only fitting that it is celebrated in style.

Each year Jersey Archery Society plays its part, running a Liberation Day Shoot, a short metric for novices and a World Archery 1440 for recurvers and compounders where all genders and ages compete together.

Member Tadhg MacFirbhisigh said: "The day's shooting was rounded off with much laughter and fun at the clubhouse barbecue where we reflected on the occasion and celebrated the freedom that our wonderful island's Liberation Day affords us all."

This year's winners included:

The Pierre Sangan Cup for recurve WA1440

1. Maria Mitchell 2. Jeremy Oxenden 3. Tamara Mitchell

The Achille Hairon Trophy for novice short metric

1. Josh Oxenden 2. Nina Blacharska 3. Simon Godfroy

Compound WA1440

1. Heath Perrett 2. Francis Rocha 3. Dan D'Orleans

Longbow or barebow short metric

1. Seven-year-old Eli Cabot 2. Steve Cabot 3. Kevin Goodwin

News: Obituaries

Phil Bowen

Phil Bowen, a former British barebow and traditional champion and member of the national field team, has passed away.

He was a valued member of Pentref Bowmen. Known for helping both novice and experienced archers and working hard for the club. A few days before his death, he built a tree stand. It will now, with the blessing of his family, be known as Phil Bowen's last stand.

John Gerard

John Gerard, a member of Warrington Archers has passed away.

He shot barebow despite suffering from Parkinson's Disease. He was known as a real gentleman and the club's condolences go to his wife Marilyn, daughter Lesley, sons Daniel and Mathew and his grandchildren.

The way back: How to escape the wilderness of target panic

Words: Maureen Rylance

The wilderness

There is such a thing as an archery wilderness and, once in, it can be a long and tortuous road back. But there are strategies to prevent it happening again.

Anyone who has had, or is suffering from what is commonly called target panic will know this wilderness well. Perhaps a better term is archery breakdown, simply because your skills, technique and know-how all seem to desert you. It sweeps away your confidence and leaves you floundering, desperately seeking an explanation and, more importantly, a solution. You reach a point where you no longer want to know why it's happening but only how to make it stop. Does this sound familiar?

Interestingly, archery breakdown rarely strikes beginners and novices. It is usually seasoned and experienced archers who fall victim. Is this because in the experienced archer, there is more to break down? Often we carry within us a huge skill set and knowledge base and we have become analysts of both technique and equipment. So there is more to lose.

Target panic implies something manic and you imagine an archer throwing a real wobbler when facing a target. It can be all of that but, to the casual observer, there will probably be no outward sign apart from an expression of abject misery. Also, the word panic infers something sudden, when in fact archery breakdown can be insidious, creeping over you, quietly and relentless.

It can take several forms

The inability to aim or stay on chosen aiming point.

The inability to draw the bow back to the face. The compulsion to release before you are in control of the shot.

Often these problems seem insurmountable and leave you in a love-hate relationship with archery. You may even have stopped shooting altogether.

There is good news; and bad news. The good news is that you can return to competent and confident shooting.

The bad news is that there is no quick fix. You can only do this with a level of self-discipline and commitment that will really tax you.

This is what you need to do

Regain control over your bow. You may have felt for a while that your bow has a will of its own. It is time to take control and to begin this process. So:

Do not put target faces on the boss. These are a distraction. Scores are irrelevant. The process is all. Hard as it may be, do not compete or score.

Practise daily if possible or as many times as you can manage and follow this series of exercises. Do this alone if you can and do not engage in any long explanations about why you are doing them. Be polite but firm and make it clear that you need no distractions.

There are three strands to the exercises. Do all of them in your session, or at least attempt them. Do not expect to succeed straight away. See how they fit with you. In no particular order:

One in three

Take up your position at the line or peg with the target (faceless) at a short distance away. Without an arrow, come smoothly and slowly to full draw then smoothly and slowly down again. Do this six times resting between each draw. These are known to many as reversals and are used mainly to increase strength. However, for our purposes they are used to bond again with your bow and to reassert control over the draw.

If you are not happy with your efforts, simply tell yourself that it is okay and will come right in time. And smile. Yes, seriously. This is one of the reasons you should try to be alone in these sessions as there will be some talking to yourself and some smiling to be done.

Do this again and try to hold each full draw for three seconds.

Now, nock an arrow and come to full draw again then down slowly and smoothly. Do not shoot the arrow.

This may seem simple but often it is not. You have had considerable time in which your bow appears to have taken on a will of its own. So be kind to yourself and once again smile.

Repeat sets of six draws until you are in control.

If this is not happening, move on to closed eye shooting.

If you have succeeded, then come to full draw six times with an arrow in the bow, but only release on every third draw. Do not do this for long or you will tire yourself out.

Then rest a moment and tell yourself well done and move on to closed eye shooting.

Closed eye shooting

This is excellent whether you have technique breakdown or not.

Place a blank boss about five to eight yards away. It is there simply to stop your arrow.

Take up your stance and relax, dropping your shoulders to eliminate any tension.

Nock an arrow and, as you draw back to your face, close your eyes. Feel your anchor point and slowly and smoothly release the arrow. Repeat with three arrows. No more because you will find that you group very closely and might damage the arrows.

As you shoot your three arrows, try to feel each part of your process: the draw, the anchor point, the weight across your shoulders, the dynamic tension before you release. Try to visualise executing the shot as though you are looking down at yourself. Spend at least 15 minutes on this exercise.

Take a short break and feel good. You are on your way to a better place so smile.

Let fly

This frees inhibitions and tensions. If you are familiar with clout shooting then you are prepared for this.

Lean back as far as is comfortable, then draw and release an arrow as though you were at Agincourt. No finesse is needed, just let fly and experience the freedom of no aiming point or target.

Many archery clubs will not have enough room for this style of shooting so use arrows fitted with blunts and flu flu feathers. These slow down the arrow flight so that you get the feeling of shooting long distance without the worry of overshooting. Use longer arrows than normal as you may find you become so relaxed that you draw back further than usual.

20 minutes of this can really open you up and make you smile of your own volition.

Summary

So there we have the proposed retraining programme. It will be demanding but well worth the effort. As your confidence and competence return, refamiliarise yourself with a target face but eliminate the 'area of tension' by cutting out the gold area or even the red and gold. This enables you to return to shooting with a face but without the stress that the gold can bring. You can decide for how long you need to do this.

Take everything slowly and return to these exercises any time you feel tense or uncomfortable. These strategies will help you through until the wilderness is just a distant memory.

Big weekend

Sign up now: It's not too late to be part of the fun

Archery GB's 2018 Big Weekend is almost here; but don't worry if you have not signed up yet. There is still time to be part of the event on 15 to 17 June. In fact you can sign up right until the last minute.

So what do you need to do? First read our guide How to Run a Fantastic Open Day and the Archery GB Code of Conduct for have-a-go sessions, to make sure you know what is expected, including all details, such as placing all archery targets for beginners on the floor. Then just sign up via Archery GB website. You will find the link on the home page bulletin board.

You will also find a kitbag with everything you need to make your event a success. It is all free for you to share, edit and print, and should make organising and promoting your event even easier. Just let Archery GB know you are taking part and we will do our best to promote your event.

The kitbag includes:

Big Weekend pre-event and post-event press release templates. Big Weekend Photography Brief. Big Weekend Photography Consent Form. Big Weekend Logos. The Code of Practice for have- a-go events. Big Weekend social media guide and images. Posters.

So why should you join in? Check out this feedback from previous events:

"450 per cent increase in numbers attending. Excellent weather.  Good turnout of members to help." Stockton Archers.

"The event was successful. This type of event seems to attract families which we do not come to other have-a-go events." Tockington Archers.

"It raised the profile of archery in our area and it's always a brilliant way of promoting a sense of belonging among the club members, too." Norton Archers, Stockton on Tees.

"We do many community events, our team of 35 volunteers all agreed this was the most successful event we have ever organised, queues from start to finish, many have signed up for our other open community events."  Deer Park Archers Ltd, Gloucester.

"Even though it rained we had we had 372 people through over two days." Sittingbourne Community College Archers.

AGM

All Pictures: John Percival

The way ahead: Working hard to deliver a stronger sport

Developing an even stronger club network, ensuring good communication and supporting all archers through our existing club, coaching and competition plans are key to the future of the sport. As is empowering and celebrating prominent and proactive leaders within clubs. And Archery GB is working hard to deliver.

Chief Executive Neil Armitage told a packed and lively AGM "an awful lot has happened in the past year" with work to support and improve a vibrant club network and a better all-round experience. Initiatives include those listed below:

Archer-led focus groups and action plans for special interest groups. Club hubs. A new competition structure. An annual survey. A toolkit for clubs, workshops and new resources. An ambassador and mentor programme. Publishing key performance indicators in real time on the website. Membership analysis online tool. Introduction of a new website, membership system and e-cards. New coaching strategy available to download from the website. Continuing professional development for coaches.

Improving member satisfaction is a key target, he said, and measures were being taken to improve customer experience across all areas of the organisation. Talking to members through workshops, webinars and consultation roadshows about competition and coaching had been successful and illuminating. What became clear was the need to empower clubs, volunteers and coaches, providing the tools, training and development opportunities they need to provide the best possible archer experience.

One of the aims is to reduce member churn, keeping those who take up archery within the sport. A new competition strategy targeted at, among others, novices, young people, all bow styles and encouraging those who would like to shoot at longer distances, is being introduced. Coaches will promote suitable competitions to archers and clubs will be encouraged to work together to benefit from shared experiences and resources, maximise facilities and enjoyment.

A key factor in this will be the involvement of focus groups. Neil said: "We need an in-depth understanding and to consistently refer back to members. So we are establishing focus groups to represent membership segments and priority demographic groups such as disabled, short-stay members and those aged 55-plus.

"Focus groups will enable us to engage and explore what different members need from us and clubs, for a better member experience. We will also be carrying out an annual survey to measure the quality of experience of all members within the areas of clubs, coaching, competition and customer experience."

Another key factor is better communication. It needs to be much better, said Neil, but major steps have already been taken with the new website, webinars, a rapidly-developing social media footprint plus plans for a new edition of the Archery GB app.

Live streaming the Youth Festival had been a particular success. "That one event generated almost 400,000 live streams, and not just in Britain. It was viewed by people overseas, all jealously looking at the format and it really put us on the map with World Archery as well."

There has also been an increasingly successful commercial strategy. Archery GB lost, then regained, UK sport funding but the experience underlined the need for a sustainable funding model less reliant on Government funding. As well as cutting costs and creating efficiencies, new partnerships have been forged with, among others, Volvo, Cotswold Outdoor, Snow and Rock, Cycle Surgery, Errea and Whirlpool. These provide member benefits and could be the stepping stone to further partnerships.

This year Archery GB ended the year back in the black, making a surplus of £77,035. But there is no room for complacency. Neil said: "We need to be less reliant on Government funding which is, I'm afraid to say, only going to go one way. Reducing Lottery ticket sales means the revenue just isn't there. DCMS made up the shortfall but was keen to stress to us that it was a one-off. So it is really important to maintain a position where we can invest into the sport.

"We want to continue investment into athlete conversion from Pathway to Podium, signposting the way for young archers and aiming to convert athletes into superstars."

The vision for 2024 is to lead the Paralympic medal table and to win an Olympic medal. And significant progress is being made with every performance milestone for 2017 met.

"Last year we were declined from Olympic funding by UK Sport", said Neil. "But we have worked really hard over the past 12 months to persuade UK Sport to change its decision and I am pleased to report they did so. It was driven by our success at the world championships where we brought back a bronze medal in the mixed team event, and by the lobbying which has been going on throughout the year at every single level.

"We have been successful in achieving funding to go into the new Olympic programme and this funding allows us to showcase our sport and how good it really is."

All resolutions except agenda item seven, to adopt the proposals of the board revising the Articles of Association, were approved during the AGM.

The date for the next AGM, which will again be held at the Crowne Plaza NEC Birmingham, was set for Saturday 13 April 2019.

Auditors' remuneration

It has been brought to our attention that the auditors' remuneration was not disclosed in the Statutory Accounts for 2017. The auditors have apologised for this error which was an oversight in moving to the new financial reporting standards. The corrected note 5 on page 25 of the Archery GB 2018 Membership Conference and AGM should read as follows:

Operating profit/(loss) for the year is stated after charging:

Fees payable to the company's auditor for the audit of the company's financial statements: 2017: £7,395. 2016: £7,200.

Depreciation of owned tangible fixed assets: 2017: £28,830. 2016: £25,655.

(Profit)/loss on disposal of tangible fixed assets: 2017: not applicable. 2016: £2,510.

Operating lease charges: 2017: £77,936. 2016: £70,875.

We will be posting revised accounts on the website to include the corrected disclosure note.

Take a bow: Recognition for our unsung heroes

Inspirational journeys and the selfless dedication and tireless work done by volunteers were recognised at the 2018 Archery GB AGM.

Gussy Trophy

Photo: Jess Stretton receives the Gussy Trophy from Archery GB President Trish Lovell.

The Gussy Trophy is awarded to the wheelchair archer of the year. This year it marked the extraordinary achievements of 18-year-old Jess Stretton who, after winning Paralympic gold in Rio, went on to become an unstoppable force. Last year she was awarded the MBE, broke 10 para world records, European records, one national junior record, became double world champion and was nominated for BBC young sports personality for the second year running.

Jess, who has cerebral palsy, also continues to support WheelPower, the charity that first got her into archery.

Hartwell Trophy

The Hartwell Trophy is awarded for exemplary service to archery, and the 2018 recipient certainly fits the bill. Hilda Gibson leads our international management group, driving

international relations strategies for equality, para sport, governance and hosting major events. She has strengthened our standing with UK Sport and has helped secure more support. She is a member of the World Archery finance and audit board, its Commonwealth Games working group, the WA Europe executive board and the international Paralympic Committee's finance and audit committee.

Club website

The Archery GB club website trophy went to Southend and District Archery Club.

Regional website

The regional website trophy went to Berkshire Archery Association.

Toxophilus Trophy

The Toxophilus Trophy, which was first awarded 50 years ago, went to Archery GB's new suite of e-zines.

Plaquettes

A few years ago, Archery GB took a fresh look at its Plaquettes system, focusing it on the work done by the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to help develop our sport at all levels from national committees to grass roots. This year is no different.

Bronze plaquettes for outstanding commitment and support were awarded to:

Target Committee

Members: Geoff Thomas, Malcolm Wooton, John Bennett, Steve Johnson and Lee Miller.

Judges Committee

Members: Liz Garrigan, Susan Richards, Tony Goad, Richard Pilkington and Hannah Brown.

Field Archery

National Tournaments and Rules of Shooting Committee members: Michaela Lake, Robert Nesbitt, Tracey Hill, Carla Piper, Andrew Neal and Dennis Whiteman.

Brian Dunlop

Bedfordshire County Chairman and national judge who helped develop Kestrel Archers.

Jerry Handyside

The tournament organiser and club administrator at Brixham Archery Club.

Roger McMullen

A judge who has overseen the Island Games and introduced service personnel at Blind Veterans UK to archery.

Roger and Tina Horsley

The Kestrel Archers’ tournament organisers and Southern Counties representatives.

Colin Bowen

A keen coach and tournament organiser at Allington Castle Archers.

Sharon Tideswell

A keen regional judge and tournament organiser who works at county and regional levels.

Charlotte Attwood

A former international archer who now works with youngsters at Wilford Bowmen and across Nottinghamshire.

Eddie Pemberton

The Chairman of Bowmen of Glen and the Leicester and Rutland County Archery Association.

Silver Plaquettes went to:

Pauline Betteridge

A former GB team manager who chaired World Archery's Classification Committee and helped set up the system and training. She is also Chairwoman of the British Wheelchair Archery Association.

David Poyner

A champion of visually impaired archery, Chairman of British Blind Sports Archery and a font of knowledge on all disability matters.

Neil Dimmock

The Vice-President of Southern Counties Archery Association, its representative at the English Archery Federation, tournament organiser and International Judge for decades.

Jon Shales

A GB international field archer for 25 years; Deputy Chairman of World Archery's Field Archery Committee and a key member of Archery GB's field committee, dealing with rankings, selection and providing website content.

Helen and Tony George

Dedicated to developing the sport from grass roots to national and World Archery's Para Committee level, supporting disabled archery at Stoke Mandeville, promoting VI archery and the Pass It On scheme.

Robert Potts

World Archery International Youth Judge who helped steer Archery GB's youth judge project. A skilled technician who helped set up Archery GB's national events scoring system, helps to spread the technology and spends most weekends judging at events.

Paul Callaway

Paul has worked at club, county and regional level and with the Senior Leadership Team to come up with ways to encourage grassroots members to see the benefits of joining the National Governing Body.

Charlie Hall

A stalwart of the sport who has spent the last 25 years involved in regional governance. He is Northern Counties Chairman and helped shape the sport in Durham and Northumberland.

Eric Jackson

A national Judge and former Marketing and Development Director, who, in 2007, was involved in the evolution from GNAS to Archery GB. He was re-elected as Finance and General Purposes Director in 2011.

Gold Plaquettes went to:

Muriel Kirkwood

A Scottish international, club secretary, coach who looks after the Scottish Archery Association website. She joined Archery GB's Board as Director Scotland and has served three terms, helping its transition to a modern strategic body. She recently joined the Archery NI Board.

Dave Harrison

In the 1970s he helped set up the Bowmen of Walker. He went on to become a National Judge, an active coach and County Coaching Organiser. He was (and is again) Durham and Northumberland Chairman, Northern Counties Secretary and President. He joined the Archery GB Board in 2009 and quickly became Chairman, overseeing the London Olympics in 2012 and serving with grace and pragmatism. The AGM marked his last day in office.

Honorary Life Membership

And there was an honorary life membership for Bob Tonkin; on the same day that he marked 50 years of marriage to his wife, Pat.

History

Grip and release: Different locations, different styles

Arthur Credland is Archery GB's official historian, and he wants to hear from you. Contact him at historian@archerygb.org.

For centuries, European archers have used the so-called Mediterranean loose, a three fingered method of drawing the string, one finger above the nock of the arrow, and two below. The only real exception was the two-fingered variation known as the Flemish loose, using the fore and middle fingers of the drawing hand.

Archers may have used a glove to make shooting more comfortable and a bracer to protect the bow arm from the impact of the string. However, neither of these were essential. It was customary before the 18th century to have a large bracing height so the string would not usually reach the arm, but the bracer would be useful for keeping loose sleeves under control and prevent clothing becoming tangled with the bow and arrow. A battle-hardened archer would have calloused fingers rendering a glove superfluous, though the softer skinned recreational archer would favour its use. It is not clear when the familiar tab first appeared, possibly in the late 18th century, but the plethora of devices for holding and releasing the string that we are now familiar with only began to appear in the 20th century.

In other areas, such as Turkey, China, Korea and Japan, the thumb lock was favoured. The thumb is hooked around the string, below the arrow, and locked in position by the index finger being placed across the thumbnail.

A variation of this was the pillion lock in which both the index and middle fingers are fastened across the thumb. Archers using this technique might use a leather guard, or ring. In China and Mongolia a cylindrical ring, of jade or similar hard stone was favoured, the

bowstring resting on its edge. The Turks used a type with a lip that partially covered the inside of the thumb. This thumb-lock is still used by the modern exponents of Kyudo, the Zen approach to archery practised in Japan. In European archery the bow is shot with the shaft on the left side of the bow, but using the thumb lock the shaft is placed on the right.

So what was the most widespread method of drawing the bow? The pinch draw was used by tribal archers across the globe. The butt end of the arrow is held tight between the thumb and forefinger and the arrow does not need a nock. But this method is only useful for relatively weak bows shooting arrows at a short range. Most native archery was for hunting game, birds or four-footed animals, approached by the archer quietly on foot, or lying in wait, so the pinch-draw was adequate for success. Strong bows shooting at long ranges were only necessary for the purposes of war and competitive target archery.

In North America a variety of draws were used by the many native tribes, some evolved by the native Americans of the Plains who took to hunting on horseback. However even the foot archers used techniques other than the simple pinch-draw. Ishi, the last of the Yahi tribe of California, used a modified thumb-lock, the arrow on the right of the bow, and while shooting he held another arrow, ready in the little finger of the shaft hand.

Juniors

She did it: Top award for Freya, 15

Photo: Freya Palmer with Matt Windle.

More than 200 people saw 15-year-old Freya Palmer take the top sports honours at this year's Dudley Youth Awards, held at Glasshouse College, Stourbridge.

Freya was nominated by the deputy head at her high school and up against four other finalists including a cricketer who has been selected for Worcestershire County Cricket Academy and a BMX rider who has competed in Europe and around the world.

But when it came to the crunch the Youth Council had no doubts and announced Freya as the worthy winner.

The award was presented by Matt Windle, a former Birmingham poet laureate and face of the new Birmingham library.

The Dudley Youth Awards were set up 14 years ago to help promote a positive image of young people to combat the negative image often seen in the media. There were nine awards in total, given for overcoming adversity, environmental work and inspiring others.

Back to basics: Rachel takes the medieval option

Rachel Wilson, a member of Ballyvally junior archery club, doesn't do things the easy way. She has just completed the sports section in her bronze Duke of Edinburgh medal scheme by choosing one of the most difficult archery styles to master; medieval longbow.

She had to find a wooden bow that she could actually pull and source suitable wooden arrows. And she enjoyed it so much that she bought her own equipment and, successfully completed the necessary objectives and reached the essential level of skill required.

A bit too close

When Oliver Squires was shooting in his club's Tuesday Cup handicap competition, he certainly did not mean to take things quite so literally. The 18-year-old Llandaff City Bowman knew his grouping was good but this time it proved a little costly; and robbed him of one of his arrows, which was a handicap in itself.

Pure mastery

Britain's Junior Masters went head-to-head in Oxford to find out who is Britain's best. And our new champions are:

Under 21s compound: Lewis Haslam and Ella Gibson.

Under 12s compound: Oliver Robinson and Orlaith Titchener.

Under 21s recurve: Emily Bryant and Thomas Nairn.

Under 18s recurve: Jakob Barrett-Rees and Freya Palmer.

Under 14s recurve: Darragh Joyce and Jodie Buckner.

Under 12s recurve: Finlay Haydon and Megan Havers.

Under 18s barebow: Imogen Colenutt.

Under 12s barebow: Dominic Fenton.

Field

To the fort: Islanders cram in some extra 3D practice

Channel Island archers have been getting some extra 3D field practice in on the challenging terrain of Alderney. The most northerly of the islands hosted a two-day event at the historic Fort Albert for archers from Jersey Archery, Bowmen of Guernsey and Alderney Shooting Club and featured an assortment of bow types including longbows, Mongolian and American flatbows.

There was a chance to practice aiming techniques and drills on both up and downhill inclines and to tackle unusual shots at 3D targets through windows and doorways at the fort, which is the home of the Alderney Club.

Scottish spectacular

Archers from all over Britain flocked to Inverawe, Argyll, for the 2018 Scottish Archery Field Championships and AFA Open. And it led to some spectacular shooting in an equally stunning location.

This year's champions are:

Barebow: Jessica Nilsson and Stephen Havranek. Junior barebow: Finlay Maclean. Recurve: Lisa Cooper and Michael Klein. Junior recurve: Mirran Yule. Compound: Hope Greenwood and Alistair Whittingham. Junior compound: Ross Watt. Traditional: Lesley Brown and John Tait. Longbow: Freya Wise and James Watt. American flatbow: Gordon Larmour

Bob Provan, a Director of Scottish Archery, said: "We would like to thank all the volunteers and everyone who has helped make this event such a success, and all the archers that have come from all over Britain.

"For the future, we are hoping that they will all come back and bring their friends to make this an even greater success next year."

Blooming good: Archers blossom at Buttercup Shoot

It was almost as if they knew. Buttercups blossomed as 74 archers gathered in sunshine for the first leg of the Loughbrickland treble. And what were they there for? The Ballyvally Buttercup Shoot of course.

It produced some blooming good performances too. Seven younger competitors scored more than 400 during the two-day event. They were: Zack Kelly, Scarlet Dodds, Robert Henry, Alan Trimble, Tom Caughey, Eleanor Walsh and Theo Milligan.

In the older junior group Kathryn Morton achieved her first two international Arrowheads while Sinead Byrne, Caoimhe Heaney and Tom Mehaffey all achieved excellent scores.

Ballyvally's senior members also shot well. Romaine Mehaffey, Angela Cowan and Orla O'Connor finished second, third and fourth in their barebow category while Robert Mallon won the men's barebow with Neil Gordon third. Sam Jackson won the masters barebow.

Dean Hamilton and Mark Nesbitt won the compound and freestyle classes while Nicki Sinnamon, who was taking part in her very first shoot, scored a very commendable 309.

The next two legs of the Loughbrickland treble are the Bluebell and Primrose shoots.

Coming up soon

7 to 8 July: UKRS Watership Down Field Tournament (Arrowhead) Kingsclere, Hampshire RG20 5PX.

28 to 29 July: UKRS THWAC two-day shoot and Sussex Champs. Stonehouse Farm, Crowborough, TN6 3QN.

4 to 5 August: UKRS Durham and Northumberland Champs and Open (Arrowhead). Netherwitton Estate, NE61 4NL.

11 to 12 August: UKRS Fort Purbrook Open (Arrowhead). Fort Purbrook, Portsmouth, PO6 1BJ.

25 to 26 August: UKRS Banbridge AC Challenge Shoot (Arrowhead). Gilford Castle Estate, BT63 6HH.

For full details about these competitions, and the rest of the diary, please see the separate document, 2018 Summer Tournament Diary: Archery UK Magazine.

Advertise your event

If you are holding an event and want to advertise it in Archery UK's diary pages, it's easy. Simply contact Karen Hodgkiss at karen.hodgkiss@archerygb.org and she can help you with everything you need to know.

Disabilities

We need your help: Can you make the difference at the National Disability Championships?

The 2018 National Disability Championships are being held on 23 to 24 June. They are going to be bigger than last year, more inclusive with a brand new category for novice archers; and we need your help.

We need volunteers to agent for the archers, helping with scoring in the qualification round and finals of the disability categories on 23 June. If you can spare the time to be a crucial part of a fantastic event, please contact katy.cumming@archerygb.org.

Last year the event, supported by the Worshipful Company of Fletchers, proved a huge success. It generated lots of positive feedback at the recent competition workshops where it was suggested that the championships could be made even better by adding a novice category. That is now in place and open to men and women of all bow types who have been in the sport for less than two years and have some form of physical impairment.

The format of the event, which will be held at Lilleshall, will be a 720 round followed by head to heads. The novice category will be shot at 30 metres.

The other categories are:

World Archery Classified athletes. Archers with a physical impairment but who do not have a valid World Archery

classification. Visually impaired athletes.

You can find out more about the Disability Championships at the Archery GB website via Shoot, Compete>Compete>Archery GB competitions>National Disability Championship.

Archery steals the show at Inter-Spinal Games

For almost 70 years, people who have recently received spinal injuries have been given the chance to try different sports , including archery, at the Inter-Spinal Games at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. This year was no different.

The two-day event was organised by WheelPower, the organisation which has given many successful para-archers, including Paralympic champion Jess Stretton, their first taste of the sport.

This year's games attracted participants from units in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and archery proved particularly popular.

Almost 70 competitors tried the sport, with expert guidance from senior coach Helen George, Trevor Tucker, Maureen Ritson, Sandra Spinks and Paralympian Fred Stevens. Many of them showed real promise and were keen to find out more, particularly as it forms an integral part of the games' hard-fought inter-unit competition.

Helen was keen to praise the work done by WheelPower, event manager Ollie Buncombe, and everyone who helped make the games such a success.

Sport: Participation

A new way: Thumbs up for Sport Team Strategic Advisory Group

This is a brilliant example of the strength of the new way of working. Staff sharing the work plans with a range of members who in turn can bring various aspects of expertise to the table to support them. Love this one Archery GB approach.

That's the verdict of David McCullogh, Chairman of Norton Archers, after the first meeting of the new Strategic Advisory Group. And he thinks the group, and the work it is undertaking, will have a real impact going forward.

The idea is simple: to use the years of expertise built up within the membership to inform, check and challenge the work of the Sport Team so that we can create the best possible experience for everyone at every level of the sport. The group includes former Operations Committee chairmen and women, but is open to anyone who wants to become involved.

David said: "I was really impressed with the quality of the staff team. Archery GB members will see real improvements to their whole archery experience through the dedication of this team."

He was not alone. Sue Matthews, Chairman of Silver Arrow Archers, said: "As a retailer, coach educator and club chairman, archery pervades all aspects of my life. I am very encouraged by the initiatives begun by Archery GB.

"It is clear that there is a commitment to research the issues affecting the sport and then to develop an overarching strategy which will encourage its growth. Specific initiatives are already underway and I am excited to see how they will impact on club archers and, ultimately, the sport as a whole."

Paul Maines, Chairman of Gordano Valley Archers was also at the meeting, held at Becketts Farm, Birmingham. He said: "I, for one, am really excited. The group has been pulled together by Director of Sport David Tillotson. The idea was to set up an advisory group looking at some of the initiatives being brought about as part of the current Strategic Plan and listening to ideas and comments from some incredibly experienced people.

"There was a tremendous amount of knowledge sitting in that room looking at a whole variety of different things, making comments and suggesting better ways, maybe, or different ways that the group and the initiatives could move forward."

All the initiatives are based on the five pillars of Archery GB's Strategic Plan: places, progress, participation, principles and podium and operational groups are being set up to deal with specific areas such as clubs and facilities.

"There are people within the group with very specific knowledge and expertise in particular areas," said Paul. "What David is trying to do is to look at using those skills and that knowledge to feed into the Strategic Plan so that it is not seen as just officer driven. It's not just the national governing body driving it, it actually has a wider consultative impact because, certainly from my point of view, there were things that I learned, that I was not aware of. There were things being discussed I thought were of real interest that I could take that back and share it both as a club chairman and as Chairman of Somerset County Archery."

The idea is for the Strategic Advisory Group to meet twice a year with on-going discussions and contact taking the work forwards. There are also special interest groups concentrating on women, young people, disabilities and members aged over 55.

The specialist and designated Archery GB staff responsible for club, coaching and competition strategies would welcome expressions of interest in their respective areas. If you are interested, the contacts for these areas are:

Special interest: Kate.Moss@archerygb.org. Clubs: Arran.Coggan@archerygb.org. Coaching: Hannah.Bussey@archerygb.org. Competitions: Jon.Nott@archerygb.org.

Meet our ontarget winners: Dedicated volunteers and clubs honoured

Photo: Club of the year Redhill Archers.

Volunteers and club are at the heart of our sport and each year we honour those who work tirelessly to promote archery through the ontarget Club and Volunteer Awards. So who are this year's winners?

The Young Volunteer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year awards were a family affair. Eagle Bowmen's Hayden Ledwick scooped the Young Volunteer award for being the club's juniors captain, youngest coach and, at 16, youngest committee member. His parents, Ben and Nikki Ledwick picked up the Volunteer award. They have helped the club grow from five to more than 50 in two years and when they are not supporting the County or the local Scouts, they are encouraging members to flourish.

Archery Fit London is the Community Club of the Year. The indoor archery club and commercial setting offers one-off taster sessions, full beginner courses, dedicated children sessions, individual shooting programmes, equipment adjustments and repairs. It has introduced more than 2,500 people to the sport, supports several charities while catering for members' needs. Volunteers are at the heart of the club, improving services, recruiting new members and overcoming challenges.

Sittingbourne Community College Archers took the Young People Club of the Year for the third year running. It continues to develop young people and support an Arrows Archery club at a nearby primary school. Its archers are supported to compete at regional and national events, giving students, some of whom are from deprived backgrounds, opportunities that they would not otherwise have. Students from the school's hearing-impaired unit also shoot competitively.

Six Towns Company of Archers picked up the Performance Club of the Year award. The club offers coaching for all archers, irrespective of age, ability, level or goal including training development pathway into Elite training. The club prides itself on catering for

everyone whatever level they are at. All members are encouraged to achieve their full potential with bespoke coaching tailored to the needs of the individual.

Redhill Archers is the Club of the Year. New facilities have allowed it to grow with membership doubling since 2016. It has far exceeded estimates for the Sport England funded indoor range and has reached year five participation targets in less than three years. A new junior club night helped it gain an ontarget Young People specialism and it now boasts three Junior Master Bowmen. Daytime opportunities for senior citizens increased its disabled membership and it runs regular indoor taster sessions. It is developing coaches, hosts an Area Training Centre and has raised enough funds to manage the club in the future. Its next steps are to achieve the Community Specialism and start work towards Performance Specialism. Chairman Dave Pearce said: "We are very proud to receive this award. A real tribute to a whole club effort and we owe a debt of gratitude to the senior members who have developed the club over the past few years."

Deer Park Archers received an Outstanding Achievement award. Since the launch of ontarget in 2010 it has supported the programme and encouraged other clubs to buy into the initiative.

Archery GB's Clubs and Facilities Manager, Arran Coggan, said: "Visiting clubs and seeing the joy on the faces of those nominated is a real pleasure. Once again, this year there were lots of deserving volunteers and clubs, and the nominations are harder to shortlist. Well done to everyone involved."

Learn to be the best from the best

Do you want to get the very best from your archery with expert tips and training? Do you want to improve your coaching? Yes? Then sign up for one of our fantastic workshops run by former USA Olympic coach and Archery GB Coach Development Manager Lloyd Brown.

There are two workshops available: Coaching the Technical Framework and Archery Crafts. And you do not have to travel to Lilleshall, your club can host them. All you have to do is contact Hannah Bussey at hannah.bussey@archerygb.org to find out how.

So what do the workshops offer?

Coaching the Technical Framework:

This gives hands-on practical experience working with your athletes using the skills introduced in the technical framework. You will try out Archery GB's new Technical Achievement Summary and develop practice plans to help your athletes achieve good shooting technique.

It also teaches you how to learn to shoot, not just how to shoot. You will look at over 100 videos of shooting techniques used by the best archers in the world. Then Lloyd will show you how to evaluate your technique and the drills you need to develop world class shooting form and release within weeks.  He will make sure you understand good alignment and how to achieve it and, even if you are not a performance archer, the skills you learn will help make shooting easier and more enjoyable.

But don't take our word for it. Check out feedback from archers who have already attended these courses.

Val Smith said: "Although the thought of spending £120 was initially daunting the benefit gained by all those who attended far outweighed the cost."

Isla Bezencon: "I'm going to go back, share it with all the coaches at my club and highly recommend they attend future course."

Nick Lee: "I am currently a Level 1 coach but now in the middle of my Level 2 course and this could not have come at a better time for me. Level 2 is all about observation, diagnosis and designing and delivering a plan, and this is exactly what Lloyd demonstrated throughout the weekend. It was a huge boost for what I am doing right now."

Les Brewster: "This transfer of practical knowledge with actual hands on support is definitely the way to go."

Archery Crafts Workshops:

Hosted by Lloyd and double Commonwealth medallist Nicky Hunt. You will learn how to make a custom bow grip, build them up and sand them down to get the best fit for any archer. You will also build arrows from bare shafts, learn the proper way to cut arrows, install points, nocks and nock inserts, fletch using different vanes and feathers and how to use arrow wraps.  You will also learn to make bow strings and tie on perfect nocking points.

Want to make your club better?

How do you improve your club? One way is to sign up to our ontarget club development programme, check out its Specialisms and decide which could help you develop.

The specialisms help clubs to self-assess their activities, understand what their members want and make changes to expand, improve and develop.

Graphic: The number of clubs that have achieved a specialism: Community, 53. Young People, 21. Performance, 14.

So how do you get involved?

Clubs complete a self-assessment which makes them look at their activities, strengths and weaknesses so that they can decide which specialism suits them best, what they want to achieve and what they need to do it.

If a club cannot meet all the characteristics required for a specialism, the Sport Team will help. For more information and to download the brochures visit the ontarget section of the Archery GB website: www.archerygb.org/ontarget.

Once you are ready, complete the online self-assessment and the Sport Team will get in touch. If you meet the characteristics we will award the specialism and provide a certificate and logo to display on your website.

If you feel further work is needed to achieve the specialism, contact Arran Coggan, on 07525 233592 or email: arran.coggan@archerygb.org.

Positive mental wellbeing

Mental well-being is high on everyone's agenda and rightly so. One in four people experience a mental health problem every year; so this is something that could affect anyone at any time.

The Sport and Recreation Alliance, and the mental health charity Mind developed the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation.

Archery GB is proud to announce that we are now signatories to the charter and committed to using the power of sport to help tackle the stigma behind mental health. You can read more about the charter by visiting the Sport and Recreation Alliance website.

Being involved in archery, whether sociably or competitively, as a volunteer, judge or as part of a work party, provides positive outcomes for individuals, clubs, Archery GB as a whole and society.

An article is available on the World Archery website about the health benefits of archery included many items that are associated with mental wellbeing; control, patience, staying calm, relaxing and socialising. Archery is an inclusive sport and we need to show how it can play a part in helping promote a positive mental well-being.

There is further information and guidance on the Archery GB website by following: Clubs Facilities and Development>Clubs>Mental health and archery.

Sport: Pathway

Sign up now: Get your names down for the 2018 Youth Festival

Looking for something to do in the summer holidays? How does six days for competition, fun and friendship sound? Good? Then why not sign up for the Youth Festival 2018?There are still places available for the festival which runs from 29 July to 3 August at Lilleshall and is part of the 2018 Youth Key Event Series. You just need to get your applications in by 1 July at the very latest.

So what is in store?

The festival timetable is:

29 July: Official practice and 720 ranking rounds.

30 July: Individual head-to-heads (extra matches for eliminated athletes).

31 July: Mixed team and individual head-to-heads plus Euro-nations team matches.

1 August: Team rounds (extra round robin matches in the morning).

2 August: Mixed team finals and team finals on the Orangery.

3 August: Individual junior, cadet and cub finals on the Orangery.

Junior (under-21s) recurvers will shoot at 70 metres, cadets (under-18s) at 60 metres and cubs (under-14s) at 50 metres.

Junior compounders will shoot at 50 metres and there is a new competition for cadet compounders. Team and mixed team events will still be combined.

It's a fantastic opportunity to gain competition experience, get tips and advice from the experts, test yourself and make new friends. The only condition is that you have to be available for the whole six days.

Interested?

You can find everything you need to know and entry details by typing youth festival into the search engine on the Archery GB website.

Sport: Performance

All smiles for Ella: Cracking performance earns silver medal

Ella Gibson won a hard-earned silver medal for Great Britain at the first leg of the European Youth Cup in Rovereto, Italy.

The compound junior put in a dominant display, dismissing Janeta Grinvalde of Latvia, Italian Francesca Bellini, who had earlier beat Isabelle Carpenter, and Russian top seed Elizaveta Koroleva.

That brought her face to face with second seed Lisell Jaatma in the battle for gold. And it was close, but the Estonian just edged it.

Recurve cadet Heather Hughes put in another spectacular show and came within a hair's breadth of winning bronze.

She defeated teammate Hannah Rowley before seeing off top ranked Pole Karolina Jurasz, Tihana Kovacic of Croatia and Greece's Lida Nanou, who had earlier beaten Alyssia Tromans-Ansell. A tough semi-final against Italy's Elisa Ester Coerezza left her facing Melodie Richard in the bronze medal showdown. Heather fought hard but was edged out by the Frenchwoman. Nicole Burdett was beaten 6 to 0 by Russia's Aiuna Mankhanova. Juniors Sarah Moon and Abbie Spinks fell to Switzerland's Janine Hunsperger and Italian Sara Ret respectively.

It took a double shoot-off to keep Thomas Susca out of the quarter final. The recurve cadet beat Austria's Dieter Daxbock and Italian Niccolo Lovo before tying with Hugo Lartigue. Both athletes scored 10, forcing the second decider. Thomas shot a nine, but the Frenchman hit the X to go through.

Jacob Reid was also denied a quarter final place. He beat Cosmin Frai of Romania and Russia's Dambi Damshaev but could not get past Poland's Karol Kepa. Jakob Barrett-Rees fell to Italy's Pierpaulo Masiero.

Junior recurver William Pike made it to the quarter finals but lost out in a shoot-off against Denmark's Mikkel Berrig Rasmussen. Thomas Nairn beat Austria's Maximilian Hasslacher before falling to Latvian Blaze Davis and Cameron Donaldson, beat France's Florentin Lecat before losing out to eventual gold medallist Sodnom Budaev.

Compound cadet Lewis Haslam defeated Croatia's Lorenzo Vujanic for a quarter final place but could not overcome Oliver Christiansen, who knocked out Nathan Thomas in a shoot-off. Jacob Caine lost to Switzerland's Justin Varone.

Recurve cadets Alyssia Tromans-Ansell, Heather Hughes and Hannah Rowley battled through to a bronze medal showdown but, despite a brave performance, the medal went to Germany.

Cadets Jakob Barrett-Rees, Jacob Reid and Thomas Susca found their progress blocked by Poland. Juniors Cameron Donaldson, Thomas Nairn and William Pike made it to the quarter-finals but could not get past top seeds Russia who went on to take gold.

There were only two teams in the compound junior women's competition, Great Britain and Italy, and top qualifiers Isabelle Carpenter, Ella Gibson and Sarah Moon took the honours. It was a similar situation for cadets Jacob Caine, Lewis Haslam and Nathan Thomas who were beaten into second spot by Denmark.

In the mixed team competition recurve cadets Alyssia Tromans-Ansell and Thomas Susca battled to a quarter final shoot-off but were edged out by top seeds Russia.

Athletes back clean sport

Archery GB's athletes are backing a new anti-doping campaign. Double Paralympic gold medallist John Walker and Rio silver medallist Jodie Grinham were among the athletes who took part in an education session.

The campaign, now in its second year, showcases the hard work and determination our athletes put into their training and how they earn recognition without the use of banned substances.

And you can play your part in the fight by signing up to become an anti-doping adviser.

Advisers have a pivotal role in ensuring athletes understand their anti-doping responsibilities and the necessary practices and behaviours.

Do you want to help? Register to take a free on-line course delivered by UK Anti-Doping. It's a short course, concluding with a series of assessments. Sign up at UKAD Learning Zone Store: ukad.coachwisehub.com/store.

A little extra help

Thirteen young archers are being helped to reach the next level of success by an innovative new programme: Backing the Best.

They are: Amy Gott, Cameron Donaldson, Daniel Thompson, Heather Hughes, Imogen Newby, Kieran Shirley, Layla Annison, Lucy Mason, Morgan Donaldson, Riley Spencer Nice, Ruby Paul, Ryan Holden and Shaimaa Abdelhalim.

The programme, managed by SportsAid for Sport England, supports promising athletes who would face difficulties progressing through the talent development system without financial help.

Backed National Lottery funding, Backing The Best was set up in 2016. Many of those it has helped have since gained Athlete Performance Award funding with UK Sport.

Back on the podium: Bronze for Britain's men in Antalya

Patrick Huston, Tom Hall and Alex Wise swept to recurve team bronze in dramatic style at the second leg of the Hyundai World Cup in Antalya.

The last time a British men's recurve team made it to a World Cup podium was at Ogden in 2012. "This trio is the start of something special," Patrick told World Archery. "We've been working together a while, and we're starting to click now."

"This is down to a lot of winter practice. We've got a lot more in us. The results are coming out already. And there's a lot more still in the tank."

To get to the medal decider, they beat Indonesia, France and Spain before losing out to Japan in the semi-final.

That left them facing Malaysia, and it was the fourth seeds who took first blood. But then the Britons hit their stride and, in the end, all it took was a six from Tom to win the medal.

He said: "There was a little bit of adjustment needed, so the hold was a bit longer. I will admit I did hear them say 'five to win' because I could hear the commentary. I thought: whatever I do, it's going to be a five, so it's fine. And it was."

And Alex could not have been happier. He said: "I've never really done anything like this. I've done things on final stages at junior events but there's nothing quite like the feeling of finally getting a result out here."

Recurvers Sarah Bettles, Eleanor Piper and Bryony Pitman earned a bye into the last 16 but were denied a quarter final place in a shoot-off with Russia. Compounders Susan Corless, Lucy Mason and Lucy O'Sullivan fell to Kazakhstan.

Alex also caused a major upset by dumping reigning World Archery champion Im Dong Hyun out of individual contention.

The 17-year-old beat Austria's Andreas Gstoettner before defeating the three-time Olympic medallist currently ranked second in the world. That left him facing Chinese Taipei's Jao Ting-Yu. He fought hard but was denied a place in the last 16.

Patrick swept through the opposition until he came up against Malaysian Muhammad Akmal Nor Hasrin and Tom lost out in a shoot-off against Ukraine's Oleksii Hunbin. Ashe Morgan was beaten by Mete Gazoz of Turkey.

Recurver Louisa Piper beat Kazakhstan's Luiza Saidiyeva but the 15-year-old could not get past her idol, Mexico's Aida Roman. Bryony defeated Poland's Kamila Naploszek but lost to Italy's Tatiana Andreoli. Eleanor fell to Marie Horackova of the Czech Republic while Sarah was narrowly beaten by Melanie Gaubil of France.

Compounder Lucy Mason's progress was blocked by Chen Li Ju of Chinese Taipei. Austria's Silvia Barckholt beat Lucy O'Sullivan by a single point and Susan Corless was beaten by Francevs Sandra Herve.

In the mixed team competition, recurvers Patrick and Bryony defeated Poland 5 to 3 but could not overcome third seeds Chinese Taipei.

Flying the flag

Sarah Bettles and Patrick Huston flew the flag for Britain in the mixed team competition at stage one of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.

The recurvers beat Spain to earn a showdown with top seeds Kim Woojin and Chang Hye Jin. They top the world rankings and won gold in Rio, but the Britons were not overawed. The Koreans took first blood but then Britain struck back, winning the second set. The top seeds took the third by a single point and claimed victory by winning the fourth.

Sarah, Bryony Pitman and Eleanor Piper battled to the recurve team quarter finals by defeating Japan but could not overcome second seeds Chinese Taipei. The men's team of Patrick, Ashe Morgan and Tom Hall were denied a place in the last 16 by Spain.

There was individual shoot-off agony for Bryony when she lost to France's Oceane Guy. Sarah Bettles fell to Marie Horackova of the Czech Republic. Eleanor Piper, was beaten by Vietnam's Nguyun Thi Phuong while her sister Louisa fell to Ana Umer of Slovenia.

Patrick Huston won an epic battle against Ukraine's Viktor Ruban but lost to Sjef Van Den Berg in the next round. And Ashe Morgan was edged out in a shoot-off against Oleksii Hunbin. Tom Hall lost to Russia's Alexander Kozhin while Alex Wise fell to Pablo Acha of Spain.

France's Sophie Dodemont beat our only compounder, Lucy O'Sullivan, by a single point.

Two silver medals: Teams pull out all the stops at Veronica’s Cup

British teams came home with two silver medals from the Veronica's Cup world ranking event in Slovenia.

The recurve women's team of Kate Dunnighan, Jaspreet Sagoo and Rebekah Tipping qualified second and beat Cyprus 6 to 2 for a place in the gold medal match against Slovenia. And it was close but the home favourites finally triumphed, winning 5 to 3.

And the second silver went to compounders James Mason, Carl Richards and Simon Scott. The second seeds defeated the Czech Republic in the semis to earn a title showdown with top-ranked Croatia. They battled hard but Croatia eventually struck gold with a 236 to 228 win.

A shoot-off kept Bayley Sargeant and Simon Scott out of the compound mixed team semi-finals. The Britons shot 17, but Austria hit two 10s to go through. Sarah Smith and Alex Smith made it to the quarter finals of the recurve competition but were halted by Romania.

Recurver Alex Smith battled through individual shoot-offs against Romania's Ghenadi Iepuri and Rok Bizjak of Slovenia, beat Den Habjan Malavasic, who had defeated Michael Klein, but was just edged out in the semis by Gasper Strajhar. That meant a battle for bronze against Mitch Dielemans and the Dutch top seed edged it.

Bayley Sargeant came so close to winning compound bronze. She had a bye into the quarter finals where she faced Lucy O'Sullivan, who had seen off Icelander Astrid Daxbock. There was only one point in it but it was Bayley who faced top seed Toja Ellison in the semis.

It was close but the Slovenian edged it, leaving Bayley facing Amanda Mlinaric. Again, it was hard fought but the Croatian won the bronze. Ellison put paid to Susan Corless's hopes in the quarter final after she had beaten Stephanie Clason.

Recurver Jaspreet Sagoo made it to the quarter finals after winning a shoot-off against Christina Hadjierotocritou of Cyprus and beating Romania's Luminita Boros to secure a showdown with Jessica Tomasi. But the Italian was on fine form and went on to take the title.

Kate Dunnighan was beaten in a shoot-off against Stefania Franceschelli, as was Rebekah Tipping who fell foul of Italy's Lisa Bettinelli. Sarah Smith defeated Czech Jana Cimicka in a shoot-off but then fell to Ana Umer of Slovenia. Klara Fay was beaten by Cypriot Irene Andreou.

James Mason faced top seed Mario Vavro of Croatia in the compound quarter final. There was only one point in it but the Croatian progressed and eventually won silver. Simon Scott was edged out by Slovakia's Vladimir Hurban and Carl Richards lost to the Czech Republic’s Filip Reitmeier.

Para selection: what you need to achieve

Para-archers looking to make a name in the international stage need to hit certain criteria. Here is a list of 2018 selection shoots and what you will need to achieve to be considered for the team.

European Para-Archery Cup stage 2: Czech Republic, 30 June to 8 July

The selection shoot is at Lilleshall on 22 June. There are places for:

W1: One male and two female athletes. Compound open: Two male and two female athletes. Recurve open: One male, one female athlete.

If you want to be considered you need to get your scores (with supporting evidence) to pararesults@archerygb.org before noon on Monday 18 June. You can find everything you need to know at Archery GB website under National Squads and Records>Selection Criteria.

European Para Archery Championships, Czech Republic, 10 to 19 August

The selection shoot is at Lilleshall on 20 July. There are places for:

W1: Three male and three female athletes. Compound open: Three male and three female athletes. Recurve open: Three male, three female athletes.

You need to get your scores to pararesults@archerygb.org before noon on Monday 16 July. You can find everything you need to know at Archery GB website under National Squads and Records>Selection Criteria.

Tournaments

National Tour kicks off in style

The first stages of the 2018 National Tour, the new name for the National Series, kicked off at Lilleshall in record-breaking style as top recurve seed Patrick Huston smashed the British record for a 70-metre round with a score of 687 points.

But it was Conor Hall who went home with stage one recurve gold after a hard-fought campaign.

Conor, ranked fourth after qualification, beat Gareth Thomas-Prause and David Phillips, Thomas Nairn and Michael Judd. Then he met Patrick, and there was no shortage of drama in their semi-final showdown. The scores were level after five sets, forcing a shoot-off; or two. In the first Patrick shot a 10 and Conor hit the X. In the second both archers hit a nine but it was Conor who got the nod.

That brought him face to face with second seed Tom Hall. He secured his place through victories against Andy Smart, Mark Smith, Ryan Pinder, Anthony Wood and Joe Fairburn. But Conor was in unstoppable form and secured gold with a 6 to 2 win.

There was still plenty of drama, and shoot-offs, to come at the event, which was held as part of the Bucks or Bounty tournament.

The battle for recurve bronze ended all-square, which forced a decider between Patrick Huston and Joe Fairburn. Both shot a nine but Patrick edged closer to the centre to take the medal.

The women's recurve title was also decided by a shoot-off. In fact seventh seed Alyssia Tromans-Ansell battled through two before reaching the final. After a bye into the last 32, she beat Rachel Vines, Izabella Booth in the first shoot-off, Eleanor Piper and Yulia Larkins in the second. That left her facing top seed Sarah Bettles who had seen off Eugenia D'arcy, Lisa Cooper, Rebekah Tipping and Kate Dunnighan.

After a finely balanced final, it all came down to a single arrow. Sarah shot an eight but Alyssia went one better to secure gold. Yulia took bronze with a 6 to 2 win over Kate.

The compound categories were just as keenly fought. In the men's competition, eighth seed John Stubbs battled past Rob Lewington, Rhys Harper, Adam Shaw, top-ranked Chris White and Adam Ravenscroft to secure his shot at gold. The Paralympian faced third seed James Mason who had, in turn, beaten Steven Peake, David Bramley, Liam Peake, Michael Kells and Stuart Taylor. And it was James who eventually secured gold with a 146 to 141 win while Stuart beat Adam to bronze.

There was a showdown between the top two seeds in the final of the women's competition. Leader Sarah Prieels beat Jill Brown, Paralympians Jodie Grinham and Jess Stretton and Lucy Mason to reach the final. Lucy O'Sullivan defeated Paige Jones, Susan Corless, Abbie Spinks and Layla Annison to earn her place. But it was Sarah who took the title with a 149 to 141 win and Layla beat Lucy Mason to bronze.

In the recurve cadet categories, top seed Dan Thompson beat Jack Tucker and Gabriel Beese-Raybould to set up a title showdown with Austin Whitmarsh, ranked eighth. He, in turn, had overcome challenges from Kian Watkins, Riley Spencer-Nice and a shoot-off against second seed Thomas Susca. Austin put up a spirited defence in the final but Dan took gold with a 6 to 3 win. Gabriel beat Thomas to bronze 6 to 4.

Ruby Paul led the women's competition from the start. She defeated Heike Palmer, Emily Coughlin and Molly Peter to set up a title clash with Penny Healey who had, in turn, beaten Rhiannon Easton, Shaimaa Abdelhalim and Hannah Rowley. Both archers were determined to claim the title and it was close, but the top seed eventually took it with a 6 to 4 victory. The bronze medal match was even closer. Molly and Hannah tied the match, forcing a shoot-off. Hannah shot an eight but Molly took it with a nine.

In the others category, Ian Burton beat Graham Peters 6 to 0.

More than 250 archers took part in stage two. The top finishers in each category were:

Recurve men: 1, Tom Hall; 2, Alex Smith; 3, Alex Wise. Recurve women: 1, Eleanor Piper; 2, Sarah Bettles; 3, Bryony Pitman.

Compound men: 1, Adam Ravenscroft; 2, Duncan Busby; 3, Stuart Taylor. Compound women: 1, Sarah Prieels; 2, Layla Annison; 3, Lucy O’Sullivan.

Recurve cadet men: 1, Dan Thompson; 2, Gabriel Beese-Raybould ; 3, James Woodgate.

Recurve cadet women: 1, Ruby Paul; 2, Penny Healey; 3, Molly Peters.

Meeting the challenge

When the January Challenge began in 2004, it had less than 300 entries. This year that figure topped 2,000, and organisers are hoping that even more will join in the fun as the competition continues to evolve. This year's winners were:

Recurve

Matthew Neve and Lizzie Warner. Beginners: Richard Jones and Alex English. Experienced: Jon Shales and Julie Morling.

Longbow

Alex Newnes and Sheila Hudson. Beginners: Bob Swan. Experienced: Henry Evans and Sandie Graham.

Compound

Wayne Evans and Bayley Sargeant. Beginners: Jack Harris and Mairi Richards. Experienced: Simon Dingle and Nichola Simpson.

Barebow

Mark Robertson and Jacqueline Hunt. Beginners: Dave Leverett and Jayne Shaw. Experienced: Geoff Barker and Francesca Hawker.

Get your diary sorted now

Are you all set for a sensational summer of shooting? Entries are already pouring in, but don't worry, there's still time to book your place at some of Britain's biggest and best-loved tournaments.

2018 British Target Championships

Entries are open for the 2018 British Target Championships, which run over two days, 11 and 12 August, at Lilleshall. There will be world record status World Archery 50 and 70 metre rounds followed by head to heads on the Saturday and WA 1440 Star rounds on the Sunday. There will also be a hotly contested home nations event.

Grand National Archery Meeting

One of British archery's most historic events, the Grand National Archery Meeting, will be held at Lilleshall from 27 to 29 June. The first two days of the event will be taken up with a double York round for men and a double Hereford for women who, if they prefer, could shoot a double national round instead. On Friday, all entrants will shoot a long national and the awards will be decided on the GNAM handicap system.

National Counties Team Tournament

This year's National Counties Team Tournament is being held on 30 June and 1 July, and there is still time to make sure you are part of the fun because entries do not close until 4 June. Last year there was a battle royal. Could this year be just as exciting? The format takes a three-pronged approach with the champions being decided from qualification, head-to-head and World Archery 1440 results.

Junior National Outdoor Championships

Every year the Junior National Outdoor Championships give us a glimpse of future promise from our rising young stars. This year's event, on 7 to 8 July at Lilleshall, will be no different. If you want to be part of one of Archery GB's biggest events, with World Archery and Metric rounds on Saturday and imperial rounds on Sunday, get your name down now.

Further information

You can find information and entry links to all these competitions on the Archery GB website under Shoot, Compete>Compete>Archery GB Competitions.

Experts: Welcome to Archery UK's Advice Zone

If you have any questions, this is the place to be.

In every issue our experts are on hand to give recurve, compound, barebow and longbow advice. So if you want to know something, email your question to magazine@archerygb.org and we will pass it on to our experts.

Are you prepared? In the third part of our new series, compound star Lucy O'Sullivan looks at how to optimise your archery preparations.

This is it. It is time to step up. There is only one thing left to do: make sure that you are in the best possible shape and headspace for what is about to happen. Choose a couple of exercises from each section based on how you feel today and what you can do. We have looked at all these exercises in the past few issues.

One more thing: don’t forget to apply sun cream application and/or warm clothes and remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

The pulse raiser

You can do this with just your arms too.

1. Light jogging or cardio activity: 5 minutes.2. Star jumps, arms laterally up over your head: 10 to 20.

3. Jumping Jacks lateral arms, arms parallel to chest: 10 to 20.

4. Ski jumping jacks, arms right up over your head: 10 to 20.5. Skipping, (for fun): 3 minutes.

Increasing range of motion

This is a general muscle and joint warm-up.

Legs and lower body

1. Ankle rotations: 10 to 20.2. Knee hugs: 10 to 20.3. Alternative lunge: 10 to 20.4. Squat to stand: 10 to 20.5. Leg swings: 10 to 20.

Lumbar/hips

1. Scorpion rotations: 6 to 12.

2. Thoracic spine prone extension (lying down): 10 to 20.3. Lateral overhead side reaches: 6 to 12.4. Hip hinges: 10 to 20.

Shoulders/arms/rotator cuffs

1. Wrist rotations: 10 to 20.2. Overhead arm circles: 10 to 20.3. Arms whisk (lateral arms, rotations): 10 to 20.4. Y shoulder shrugs (arms overhead): 10 to 20.5. Lucky cat (90 degree arm bend, rotate up and down): 10 to 20.

6. Popeyes (lateral arms, bicep curl): 10 to 20.7. Spine touch (swing your arms overhead): 10 to 20.

Neck

1. Head tilts laterally: 6 to 12.2. Head tilts forward and back: 6 to 12.3. Head rotations: 6 to 12.4. Head tilts side to side: 6 to 12.5. Chin tucks: 6 to 12.

Specific motion

Specific warm-up: low intensity movement that mimics the more intense exercise to follow.

Lumbar/hips

1. Lower back leans: 6 to 12.

2. Floor windmills: 10 to 20.3. T-spine rotations: 6 to 12.4. T-spine side drops: 6 to 12.

Shoulders/arms/rotator cuffs

1. Scaption push-up: 10 to 20.2. YTW: 6 to 12.3. Resistance band external rotations: 10 to 20 each side.4. Resistance band internal rotations: 10 to 20 each side.5. Resistance band bow pulls: 10 to 20.6. Resistance band bow shoulder shrug (holding position): 10 to 20.

7. Resistance band both shoulder shrugs (holding position): 10 to 20.

8. Resistance band lateral lifts: 10 to 20.

Mental preparation

1. Setting up your bow helps you get into the right mindset.

2. Reactivity training catching a tennis ball to and from friends to get your brains active.

3. Your 10 to 20 minute full body warm up will get your body prepped and more importantly get your brain in the right frame of mind to shoot well.

4. Resistance band dry fires so your mind and body can really focus on the shooting process.

5. Visualise hitting the 10 for perfect performance.

6. Positive self-talking to increase confidence.

Drink to your health: Nutrition expert Jackie Wilkinson shows the best ways to stay hydrated

It's always good to stay hydrated when you shoot. Standing on a field all day, exposed to the sun and the wind or trudging up and down hills in a wood can really dry you out. Add that to warm summer weather, well, you will be needing a cool drink.

It is estimated that more than half of all calories consumed in the USA come from sugar in soft drinks. Twelve per cent of their Coca-Cola is drunk at breakfast. That's just terrifying. We are not that bad here (yet) but we certainly do have a drink problem. So what can we do about it?

Here are the worst options:

Fizzy drinks. Very sugary causing weight gain and blood sugar imbalances. Often coloured and flavoured with chemicals. Cola, in particular, is very acidic and causes problems including tooth decay and bone density loss.

Low-cal fizzy drinks. The use of sweeteners has increased since the sugar tax came in. Low or zero cal drinks are promoted for weight loss but usually cause weight gain. Your brain thinks that the artificial sweet taste means sugar is coming. Then it doesn't so you go looking for food. It's better not to confuse your body's control systems.

Fruit juice. Seen as healthy and natural but it's still a sugary drink. Fruit juice can be up to a year old and have lost a lot of its nutrients. Too much fruit sugar (fructose) causes problems with weight gain, tooth decay and, in extremes, even non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. You wouldn't eat four or five apples or oranges at once but they are easy to drink. Stick to eating whole fruit.

Smoothies. Most bought ones and internet recipes are too heavy on fruit.

Squash. Depends how strong you mix it. Contains sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Sports drinks. Heavily marketed, unhealthy and unnecessary.

Well that was all a bit dismal. So what's the solution? It's surprisingly easy to wean yourself off sweet drinks altogether, your palate can change in as little as two weeks.

Here are some healthy alternatives:

Vegetable juices. Juice your own for a brilliant way to get lots of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients. Use 80 per cent vegetables (such as celery, cucumber, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower stems, leafy greens, ginger a sprig of parsley). Add small amounts of fruit to improve flavour (half a lime, some lemon, a bit of pear, a couple of cherry tomatoes). Drink within a few hours or freeze. Bring to the shoot in a pre-chilled flask.

Smoothies. Use avocados and green leaves with almond or coconut milk or plain live yoghurt. Add a few berries or quarter of a banana.

Milk. Shown to be even more hydrating than water when exercising. The sugar in milk (lactose) can cause weight gain if you have a lot, the fat doesn’t.

Coconut water. A great isotonic refresher. Best if you buy a coconut, pierce the top and pour out. Bought coconut milk will be older and may have additives so read the label.

Water. A great choice plain or flavoured by adding some slices of fruit to infuse. It's free if you bring your own and bottled water is usually available to buy. If the weather gets very hot, you can even make your own re-hydration solution by adding a little sugar and salt to your water.

Top Tip:

Switch to healthier drinks.

Further reading

Find more advice from Jackie Wilson's Nutrition Coaching website: www.learntoeatwell.co.uk.

Ask the experts: Questions and Answers

Compound

European compound field champion Duncan Busby is here to help with queries on form, equipment and technique.

Blown off form

Q I've found that after shooting in the wind my shot slows down a lot and feels awkward. Is this normal and how do I get my shot to feel right again?

A This is fairly typical. As the wind constantly blows you off-centre while you try to aim and execute your shot, it will force you to slow down your shot sequence as you try to re-centre. Constantly fighting the wind will also cause you to tire quickly which often causes a breakdown of your shooting form.

This change in your shooting form and shot timing will have a temporary effect on your muscle memory, meaning that next time you shoot your release may not flow particularly well and may feel a little 'clunky'. This will usually fix itself over time but you can speed things up by shooting at a blank boss while concentrating on your form, making sure it is smooth and well timed. It's important not to force your shot while doing this. Just let your natural shooting rhythm take over and allow the shot happen. Once you feel things have returned to normal you can go back to shooting at a target face again.

You can help limit the damage shooting in the wind causes to your form by focusing on your shot process rather than trying to hold still over the middle of the target. This can be difficult but you should find this will help your score as well as preserving your form

Fuzzy logic

Q I recently bought a second-hand compound bow and the strings look a little fuzzy. Is it safe to shoot and how often should I change them?

A Strings and cables wear over time. Any point of friction such as through the cable slider or around the cams will wear fastest, but exposure to the elements and packing and unpacking your bow will also contribute to the damage.

As a general rule you should change your strings every year or so, depending on how much you shoot but it's important to regularly check them for any damage and change them as soon as you notice any strands have broken. Make sure you check the condition of the serving around the cams too as this can be a high wear area which is often difficult to see. If the serving has snapped then carefully check the condition of the string underneath before having it re-served, you don't want to hide potential damage which could lead to a string failure later on.

You can extend the life of your strings by waxing them every so often but be careful not to over-wax as this can lead to a build-up of dust and dirt. And remember, waxing a string will not make it stronger or fix any damage so is not an alternative to buying a new one.

If the strings on your bow are looking a little worn try changing them for a new set. Because the bow was second hand you cannot be sure what has happened to them during their life. Many manufacturers sell strings for their bows which are available from most good archery shops. If you are looking for a specific colour string to complement your bow then a reputable string maker will be able to make a high quality set built to your specific requirements. They can also advise you on which material and strand count to choose so you can be sure your new string will be perfect for you and your bow.

Further reading

You can find more advice at Duncan Busby Archery: www.duncanbusbyarchery.com.

Mail bag

Submissions

Write to: Mailbag, Archery UK magazine, Archery GB, Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre, Newport, Shropshire TF10 9AT

Email: magazine@archerygb.org

Please note we cannot print letters sent to us without a name and address or an email address (although we can withhold the address if you wish). Letters may be edited for publication. Please try to keep them to 250 words if possible. Letters containing personal attacks will not be published. By submitting a letter to Mailbag you understand that, should your letter be selected as the Star Letter, your address will be passed on to Opticron so that the prize can be delivered.

Star Letter

Prize

An IS 60 R 15-45x60 scope by Opticron. Look out for some special offers on the Opticron IS R scope range. For more details visit the Opticron website: http://www.opticron.co.uk/.

Our prize is worth over £270.

Here's to the bucket list

At 70 years of age archery was on my bucket list. So when I saw an invitation to a come-and-try event I went.

I suffer from dystonia, a neurological movement disorder which twists my neck and shoulders, so it probably wasn't the best sport to undertake. But I really wanted to try.

Fortunately, I went to a club, Bowmen of Backworth, where members have been so helpful and encouraging. I was given a beginners' course as a Christmas present and nearly drove the coaches to distraction.

I couldn't manage the weight of the risers so had to have the lightest junior bows. I know I will never make a competitive archer but I really enjoy the challenge; so much so that one of the coaches made me a special lightweight bow.

I am gradually making very slow progress but, more importantly, I am thoroughly enjoying my practice time and having fun. I compete against myself all the time and the other club members have been brilliant. I have achieved the first part of my 252 at 20 yards. Now I just need to do the same again.

I have been fortunate enough to join a club with archers who compete and those of us who don't. We all try our best and have excellent coaches who do not differentiate, giving us equal care and attention.

Ann Elliott, Bowmen of Backworth

Other letters

But why?

I am puzzled as to why in the beginners' courses the coach teaches having the anchor point to the side of the face and then later on in the course they change it to the conventional position. Surely this is confusing for the pupils and it would be better to try to get them to use the conventional position straight away.

Could you please explain the logic behind it? 

Clive Morris, Eccles Archery Club

Coach Development Manager Lloyd Brown writes:

It's really up to the coach on where they want to teach their new archers to anchor. Many experienced coaches have found that it is more important to get the big parts of shooting technique right first, before working on the details like the anchor. It's easy for the archer to drop down under the chin after they've learned good body and head position, posture, set, set-up and draw. Too many details can be frustrating, and often learning the under the chin anchor too soon will distract them from learning the big picture.

Unfair to barebows?

Could someone please explain why, to achieve the lowest level of World Archery Star, target and Rose awards, a barebow archer has to shoot to Grand Master Bowman standard, whereas for recurve and compound archers, first class suffices?

Not to take anything away from recurve and compound archers but is this not a little unfair?

Steve Newton, New Century Bowmen

Graham Potts of the Strategic Advisory Group; Rules writes:

World Archery Star awards, which start at 1,000, are a World Archery award for world record status 1440 rounds. World Archery only recognises recurve and compound bow

styles for target archery. If an archer shooting any bow that conforms to recurve or compound bow styles as per WA rules, achieves the necessary score level, an award can be claimed. Barebow shot at world record status events are classed therefore as recurve and can claim an award if a score of 1,000 or more is achieved. The Archery GB classification scheme is not based on the WA Star awards scheme and is determined through other methods.

A question of safety

In the last edition of Archery UK I saw a picture of a gentleman wearing binoculars or field glasses while on the shooting line. Granted, he is probably a much more experienced archer than I am but I wondered, should he be doing that?

As an archery instructor, I often warn young people about the dangers of long hair, necklaces, scarves and such, as well as unfastened jackets. So to see someone with binoculars round their neck struck me as dangerous as the slightest lean of the body could cause them to tip off, or across, the chest.

Not being one who shoots in competitions I have to ask: should the field captain or judge have requested him to take off the binoculars?

Brian Walls

Editor writes:

Many thanks for your question. Experience does count and you are right to be wary, especially when dealing with novice archers who may be unaware of the dangers. But this issue is covered by Archery GB's Rules of Shooting. It falls under the use of visual aids, specifically Rule 201 (a)(i) which states: 'Field glasses, telescopes and other visual aids may be used for spotting arrows'.

Your Pictures

Submissions

If you want to see your handiwork displayed in Archery UK, it couldn't be easier. Simply send your photograph, it must be in jpg format, high resolution and at least 1MB, with details of where you took it to magazine@archerygb.org.

Introduction

Extremes of the good old British weather have provided a fertile hunting ground for some of our more camera-savvy members over the past few weeks. And the results have been pretty spectacular.

To catch a rainbow

Thirteen-year-old Ella Clampin caught a stunning rainbow as she took this shot of her dad, Ian. They are members of West Essex Bowmen.

Watch out for snowballs

Michael Ferguson, of Lough Cuan Bowmen in Northern Ireland, ran the risk of being pelted with snowballs as he snapped this spectacular picture during a field training day at Clandeboye Estate.

A study in concentration

Matt Latimer, also of Lough Cuan Bowmen, captured a study in concentration.

Into the field

Blue skies are echoed in the bow at the heart of this shot of field archers taken by Valerie Sleith as they prepared for Ballyvally's annual Buttercup shoot.

Pure determination

One of Archery UK's most regular contributors, Derek Sizeland, has two pictures featured. Both came from the Key Stage 1 event held at Lilleshall. The first shows the determination of competitors on the shooting line.

It might be cold but

The second of Derek Sizeland's pictures from Key Stage 1 event at Lilleshall shows some of the fun that went on behind the line, despite the weather.

Malcolm Rees

Malcolm Rees, another regular contributor, was on hand at the first stage of the National Tour taking these four spectacular photos.

Sunshine shots

This was something just a bit special and taken on one of the hottest bank holidays in recent memory.

Perfect backdrop

Precision essential

Making the shot

Ballyvally Archers

The latest two pictures from Ballyvally show preparations for, and performances during, the Irish Open.

Practice makes perfect

On target

New Products: Some of the latest archery products on the market

Last Chance HS2

Newly upgraded. Reads and locks on peak weight, and holding weight, all while drawing your bow. Equipped with LED digital display, comfortable handle and short attachment hook.

Available from: Last Chance Archery www.lastchancearchery.com.

Cost: $55 (around £41).

Hoyt Alero recurve riser

25-inch and built on the Grand Prix riser platform, the 2018 Alero features precision machined aluminium, the Hoyt dove-tail system ILF, original Earl Hoyt geometry and polished anodised finish in red, blue black or silver. Currently only available in right handed.

Available from: Quicks Archery www.quicksarchery.co.uk.Costs: £364.80.

GS20 Archery set

For two adults. Includes: Two QB38 adult bow sets, Rover butt target and stand, five target faces and 10 face pins.

Available from: Quicks Archery www.quicksarchery.co.uk.Costs: £400.29.

WNS stabiliser set

WNS SAT carbon stabiliser set. 10% discounted bundle. Matching longrod, twin rods, V-bar and V-bar extender. Includes weights and built-in rod dampers.

Available from: Quicks Archery www.quicksarchery.co.uk.Costs: £83.79.

Poderi Val Verde

Practice your archery skills in the heart of the Tuscan countryside at Poderi Val Verde. It has a small but demanding 3D range on the macchia covered hills and woods and offers archery lessons, other sports and cookery sessions. Apartments, guest houses, farm houses, studio and a cottage available.

Check it out at: Poderi Val Verde www.poderivalverde.it.

Import Duty and VAT:

Please be aware that if you order goods online from an overseas supplier which have to be imported into the UK, you are likely to find yourselves liable for both Import Duty and VAT on top of the original retail cost.

Competition: WIN a Mathews TRX38

What makes the Mathews TRX38 so special?

Is it time for a change? How about a brand-new bow? Well we are giving you the chance to get your hands on a new TRX38.

It is Mathews' latest compound bow, it is worth £1,059; and you can win it by entering our fantastic competition.

So what makes the Mathews TRX38 so special? Well the company thinks it has a product to fit the needs of all archers. But don't take our, or their, word for it. We asked Archery GB's Paralympic team technician Kieran Carr to check it out and give us his opinion. He spends his time looking after our paras' equipment setup as well as making and modifying assistive devices. He has been shooting for 20 years and has spent the last 14 setting up bows at Clickers.

Kieran Carr’s verdict

It's fair to say Mathews have had mixed success with target bows in the past. It created the "winningest bows ever" with the Conquest Apex and Conquest Apex 7. It also created the Conquest Triumph and TRG series.

The TRX38 will certainly put Mathews back on the winning track. It measures 38 inches axel-to-axel and has a 7.5 inch brace height so you get speed and forgiveness along with a great hold, ensuring your dot stays right where you want it.

The long riser makes it look different from other brands but gives you stability and the brand new V mods give you that much needed valley that Mathews shooters have been asking for years. And it does it without compromising the rock-hard wall we all crave. The bow is still available with the original 70 and 80% let off mods so you can truly customise the feel for your taste.

This has to be one of the simplest bows I have ever set up. Just mark the centre of the string, place an arrow directly over it, tie nock points and loop around and put everything else inline and it will shoot like a dream. If you feel like getting more technical you can purchase a Top Hat set meaning you can micro-tune the cam position relative to the limbs to help account for bow hand torque. Just make sure any adjustment using Top Hats is carried out by someone qualified.

It is available in five riser and two limb colours so that it can look just as good as it shoots.

The first time I shot this bow I thought it was good. Now I have shot it some more, I know it’s great. Mathews has got it right this time. Don't just take my word for it, get down to your nearest authorised Mathews dealer and shoot it for yourself.

How to win

So how do you win a fantastic Halon TRX38? It's easy, just answer this simple question:

Q. How much does the Halon TRX38 measure from axle to axle?

All you have to do then is enter via the link on the Archery GB website and follow the instructions.

The closing date for entries is 1 July 2018.

The bow is being offered courtesy of Mathews' UK supplier. See supplier adverts or go to the Mathews website (www.mathewsinc.com) for full specifications, finish options, and more information on the 2018 target bows.

Rules

By entering this competition you understand that your details will be shared with Mathews and its UK distributor, Clickers, for marketing purposes.

Employees of Archery GB, Clickers or Mathews Archery Inc and their immediate families are not eligible to enter this competition.

Only one entry per archer will be counted.

Closing date: 1 July 2018.

The prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer; terms and conditions apply and it is not transferable. A cash alternative is not available.

The winner must be willing to take part in post-competition publicity.

Entrants aged under 18 must have their parents' or guardians' permission to take part.

The judge's decision is final.

Membership

Renewals 2018/2019

Service improvement

To improve our service to our clubs and members, Archery GB has invested in a new Membership System. This will enable club membership management to become more streamlined and allow us to support clubs with improved service. Many of you have been requesting this for some years and now, most clubs have already switched.

There are several advantages:

Membership fees are calculated for you, minimises the risk of over and under payments.

Data becomes more reliable, reducing instances of duplicate records.

As soon as payment is reconciled, members receive electronic membership cards (e-cards):

o The e-card can be: Printed – hardcopy.o Downloaded to a mobile phone or other device.

The whole process is significantly quicker for you and your members.

It helps clubs comply with GDPR (personal details can no longer be lost in the post).

For us all to benefit fully from our Membership System, we need to phase out the use of paper forms, which we do not intend to use for the 2018/19 membership year renewals. Instead of receiving a paper renewal pack, this summer, from late August, you will be able to take advantage of online renewals.

Compliance and on-line disclosure

To comply with legislation and the requirements of our insurance we still require clubs to complete a disclosure as part of the annual renewal process. To make life easier for club secretaries, this year, the disclosure will be online. You will need to do this as the first step in the process before you start to renew/enter your members.

How to renew/enter new members online

All year round, on your club page on the Membership System, under Saved Reports there is a Club Members Report listing all your members' details.

To help you with renewals, you could download this list to use as a checklist: select Saved Reports in the top right of the screen and download the Club Members Report.

To Renew existing members: check their details and select the Renew next to their name.

To add a new member: select Add New Athlete.

To add a lapsed member or a member who is switching club: contact Archery GB Membership Services to confirm their personal details.

When you are entering a new member, if the Membership System detects that they are already on the system, an advisory message should pop up for you. Under these circumstances, please contact Membership Services and we can help.

How to pay

1. When you have finished adding members to your basket you can pay online using the card payment option (stripe). (You do not have to pay online: you can select the payment advice option. Please make a note of the reference number.)

2. Pay by bank transfer (quote the reference number as your bank transfer reference number).

3. Pay by cheque (write the reference number of the back of your cheque).

Why do you need members' dates of birth and e-mail addresses?

Some clubs ask why dates of birth and e-mail addresses are required fields. We collect these for a number of reasons:

Under data protection legislation, to verify a member's identity, three pieces of personal data are required which can include date of birth and e-mail address.

Members are encouraged to log into their own online members portal to check or amend their own personal data and preferences at any time. To do this, they need to log in with their e-mail address.

To receive an electronic membership card (e-card) an e-mail address is required.

Dates of birth help with membership categories, tournament entries, awards, and classifications.

Dates of birth enable Archery GB to accurately understand the ages of our members and, therefore, to aim our services and support better into the appropriate places.

Dates of birth and e-mail addresses enable us to create unique membership records preventing the creation of duplicates records on the Membership System.

Duplication causes significant issues and delays to members.

Dates of birth help Archery GB understand the duration of a membership, identify trends, and track movement between clubs.

Dates of birth enable Archery GB to have accurate demographic information to help support funding applications to Sport England and UK Sport.

Members can see how we use their personal details by viewing our Privacy Policy which is available on the Archery GB website: www.archerygb.org.

Club access to the Online Membership System

Each organisation (Club/County/Region etc) has a Primary Contact (normally, the Club Secretary). Should a club want more than one person to have access to the club's records it can nominate up to two more members of the committee to have access. The Primary Contact/Club Secretary just needs to email Membership Services and confirm the personal details of those additional committee members, to authorise us to give them access. Please keep us informed when any changes are necessary.

Support videos

To help you, we have produced some handy support videos which are available to view on support videos link.

Public liability and employers' liability insurance

Your insurance documents are available online in the Membership System.

Thank you

We know that changing to a new system can cause some concern and we thank you for your support. We are confident that using an online system will bring significant benefits to us all in the future.

Rules changes

Approved changes

The following changes to the Rules of Shooting were approved came into force on 9 April 2018. For reference, the changes affect rules 201, 306, and Parts 11 and 12 in the Archery GB Rule Book.

Rule 201 (a) (ii)

A change has been made to the wording of this rule, regarding the covering of the non-sighting eye. It removes the need for the whole of the glasses lens of that eye to be covered and allows the use of film or tape. The use of an eye patch is still in place.The revised wording of 201 (a) in full is as follows:

201. Introduction and general rules

The recognised bowstyles are given below. Additional information is also provided where necessary within the rules for each separate archery discipline. The following general rules apply to all bowstyles:

(a) Visual aids.

(i) Field glasses, telescopes and other visual aids may be used for spotting arrows.

(ii) Prescription spectacles or shooting spectacles, provided they are fitted with the same lenses normally worn by the archer, and sun glasses may be used. Should an archer need to cover the non-sighting eye, and-or glasses lens, film or tape may be used to obscure vision or an eye patch may be used.

(iii) No visual aid may be fitted with microhole lenses, or similar devices, nor marked in any way which can assist in aiming.

Rule 306.

Following the feedback received on the proposal to changes to scoring procedures in Rule 306 published in Archery UK winter 2017 edition, these are being implemented.

The revised wording covers Rule 306 (a) to (g), with (h) onwards remaining unchanged, and is as follows:

306. Scoring

(a)(i) For all bowstyles the scoring points for hits on the target face for Archery GB

imperial rounds are: gold 9, red 7, blue 5, black 3, white 1.

(ii) For all bowstyles, the scoring points for hits on the target face for Archery GB metric rounds are:

Graphic information: Inner 10: Record as X, score value 10. Inner gold: 10 points. Outer gold: 9 points. Inner red: 8 points. Outer red: 7 points. Inner blue: 6 points. Outer blue: 5 points. Inner black: 4 points. Outer black: 3 points. Inner white: 2 points. Outer white: 1 point.

(iii)The value shall be determined by the position of the arrow shaft.

(iv)A miss is to be recorded as a letter M.

(b) It is mandatory to adopt a system of recording scores which prevents the archer being the sole recorder of their score. Approved systems are included in appendix A.

(c) When scoring each archer must identify their arrows by pointing at the nocks, but not touching them and calling out the values clearly and in descending order. An arrow touching the dividing line between two scoring zones shall score the higher value. The scorer will then record the scores in blue or black Ink only.

(d) A judge must be called if:

(i) The scorer incorrectly records an arrow value, or the value is not clearly shown.

(ii) Arrows are recorded in the wrong order.

(iii)The archers on a target cannot agree on the value of an arrow, in which case the judge shall give a decision, which shall be final.

(e) If the target face or arrow(s) is disturbed by the archer before an arrow value has been decided the arrow(s) shall not be given the higher value.

(f) No arrows shall be withdrawn from the target buttress until all arrows are scored and the archers satisfied they are correctly recorded.

(g) The scorer shall complete all elements of the scorecard and sign it. The archer will then check and sign the scorecard confirming it is correct. It is each archer's responsibility to ensure their score is correctly recorded and all aspects of their scorecard are correctly completed.

(i) A tournament organiser is not required to check the scorecards. If they do, when checking the scorecards the tournament organiser finds:

(a) That an arrow value has been changed which has not been signed by a judge then this will be scored as a miss and the total altered accordingly.

(b) If there are found to be any discrepancies in additions then these will be altered accordingly.

(ii) Claims for records and awards will be invalidated if any arrow value alterations have not been signed by a judge.

Parts 11 and 12: Rules that cover disabled and visually impaired archers.

The changes are largely as published in the proposal in the winter edition of Archery UK, although some minor alterations have been included.

The change was made to bring together the rules into one section. This necessitates the removal of Part 12, and inclusion in Part 11.

The revised Part 11 is shown in full, below:

Rules of Shooting that concern disabled archers

1100 Policy

Disabled archers should be in a position to participate and compete to the best of their ability. If disabled archers are unable to comply with a Rule of Shooting then they will be allowed dispensation from that rule and any reasonable adjustments necessary will be made. Any variations must be related to the needs and the safety of the person concerned.

1101 Implementation

(a) In clubs and at non-UK record status tournaments: archers may self-declare their disability and use any variation from our Rules of Shooting provided that it is safe (See 1102 for allowable variations by reason of visual impairment). Evidence of disability should only be asked for in exceptional circumstances. Clubs shall allow such archers to access the club-based handicap and archer classification systems.

(b) At UK record status tournaments archers may also self-declare their disability. For automatic dispensation, the disability must be seen to make compliance with the rule impractical. (Note: tournament organisers should collect this information via the essential requirements of entry forms under SAP 3).

(i) In cases where the disability is not obvious, then any documentation which demonstrates eligibility shall be accepted as evidence, eg a Blue Badge or Certificate of Vision Impairment.

Some archery related documentation is listed below:

a. A World Archery classification of any date which allowed or allows the archer to compete nationally or internationally.

b. A current BBS, IBSA or WA sight classification.

c. A Not Eligible para-archery classification which permits the use of an assistive device.

d. An Archery GB dispensation card which permits an assistive device.

(c) Any variation from the rule must not compromise the safety of others or that of the disabled archer.

(d) Any variation from the rule must not give an advantage to the disabled archer over other archers (eg using a mechanical release aid with a recurve bow).

(e) In cases of doubt, dispute or complaint, the archer should be allowed to participate with the dispensation claimed and the matter referred to Archery GB as below. Additional evidence may be collected and any decision reached will be final.

1102 Rules of Shooting for visually impaired archers

These provisions apply to any archer regarded as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 by reason of visual impairment.

A. Rules of Shooting: general

(i) The Archery GB Rules of Shooting for Target Archery shall apply to VI archers except as stated in the following paragraphs.

B. Shooting

(i) A VI archer using a tactile sight will shoot an extra end of sighting arrows at the initial distance unless they opt not to.

(ii) For all rounds which involve a change in distance of the target, a VI archer using a tactile sight will shoot an end of sighting arrows at each change unless they opt not to.

(iii) A VI archer using a tactile sight will shoot a complete end (six arrows where appropriate) before returning from the shooting line.

(iv)A VI archer shall be permitted to have a spotter who shall be allowed to stand one metre behind the shooting line. The spotter may only give their archer information as to the fall of each arrow (including a ‘bouncer’), timing information and any necessary safety warnings. A spotter shall pass information to the archer in such a manner as to avoid disturbance to other archers on the shooting line.

(v) Assistance in adjusting any sighting device may be given to a VI archer by a third party only during sighting ends and between shooting ends.

(vi)A spotter may be nominated as an assistant as provided in Rule 306(r) who shall at all times be under the control and discipline of the Judge.

(vii) A VI archer using a spotter shall only approach the target when accompanied by his/her spotter. (Safety issue)

C. Handicap and Classification Schemes

(i) Any handicap or classification scheme in use by visually impaired archers shall, in general, conform to the procedures laid down for sighted archers.

(ii) If a visually impaired archer from time to time uses more than one type of sight, a separate handicap/classification record sheet must be maintained for each sight. When taking part in any handicap/classification competition the archer must use only the handicap/classification obtained with the type of sighting aid used in that competition.

(iii) For UK national records archers will need a valid BBS or IBSA sight classification of B1 or B2/3 combined and shoot with equipment as laid down in World Archery's rules. Record claims are made in the normal way.

D. Equipment

(i) Equipment used by a VI archer must generally conform to the specification(s) given in Part 2.

(ii) A VI archer may use a visual or tactile sight. A visual sight may be adapted to suit the residual vision of the archer and in this case Rule202(e) (i) shall not apply. A visual sight may incorporate prisms, lens or other magnification device, enlarged sight ring/pin and may provide for more than one sighting point. These adaptations may be made to all bow types used by a recognised VI archer.

(iii) A tactile sight must not act as a support to the bow, bow hand or arm.

(iv)A tactile sight must be capable of being adjusted by the archer without moving from the shooting line.

(v) The tactile sight may touch upon any part of the bow hand or forearm but no part of it shall be further from the archer's body than the bow hand when the bow is fully drawn.

(vi)The sight stand/foot location device must not represent an obstacle to other competitors.

(vii) The total width of the sight stand/foot location device shall be no more than 80cm.

(viii) The maximum depth of the foot location device shall be no more than 6cm.

E. Rounds

(i) The following table defines rounds akin to the Archery GB imperial rounds and the WA VI rounds. The number of dozen arrows is shown under the given distance and face size.

Junior archers shoot the Burntwood rounds at a distance of 15 metres.

(ii) Records. Single round records may be claimed for rounds designated by an X in column 1 of the table in Rule 1205 E (ii) above and for the Portsmouth round as described in Part 4.

1103 Insurance

Insurance cover will not be invalidated in the case of a disabled archer who is unable to comply with the Archery GB or WA Rules of Shooting, providing the person in charge of the shooting is satisfied that safety is not being compromised.

1104 Guidance

For advice whether any variation to the rules is allowable please email: disability@archerygb.org.

Description of VI rounds

Archery GB Burntwood Outdoor Rounds (Five zone scoring – 9, 7, 5, 3, 1. Adults: 30m. Juniors: 15m.)

Burntwood – York round

40 cm face: 6 dozen.60 cm face: 4 dozen.80 cm face: 2 dozen.

Burntwood – Hereford/All Bristol rounds

60 cm face: 6 dozen.80 cm face: 4 dozen.122 cm face: 2 dozen.

Burntwood – St George round

40 cm face: 3 dozen.60 cm face: 3 dozen.80 cm face: 3 dozen.

Burntwood – Albion/Windsor rounds

60 cm face: 3 dozen.80 cm face: 3 dozen.122 cm face: 3 dozen.

Burntwood – All Western rounds

60 cm face: 4 dozen.80 cm face: 4 dozen.

Burntwood – All National rounds

60 cm face: 4 dozen.80 cm face: 2 dozen.

Burntwood – All Warwick rounds

60 cm face: 2 dozen.80 cm face: 2 dozen.

Burntwood – American round

60 cm face: 2.5 dozen.80 cm face: 2.5 dozen.122 cm face: 2.5 dozen.

Burntwood – St. Nicholas round

80 cm face: 4 dozen.122 cm face: 3 dozen.

World Archery VI Target Rounds – Outdoor (10 Zone scoring. All: 30m.)

WA VI Outdoor (1440)

Single round record may be claimed.

60 cm face: 3 dozen.80 cm face: 3 + 3 dozen.122 cm face: 3 dozen.

WA 30m

Single round record may be claimed.

80 cm face: 6 dozen.

WA VI Olympic

80 cm face: sets.

World Archery VI Indoor Rounds (All: 18m.)

WA VI Indoor

Single round record may be claimed.

60 cm face: 5 dozen.

WA VI Indoor match

60 cm face: sets.

Board

From the Chief Executive

Archery is one of the most inclusive sports around. It is also one of the most social, and that is why the Big Weekend is such a success. In a recent survey, 77 per cent of those questioned said that sport's social aspect was incredibly important to them and, outside competition, nothing promotes the sport's social side better than the Big Weekend. Last year broke all records. More than 6,500 people took part in events hosted by 94 clubs across the country. How many other events can give the sport that much exposure and generate that much interest?

The Big Weekend is a fantastic opportunity to put your club at the heart of the community, raise your profile and get more people involved in this fantastic sport. And there is still time to take part in the 2018 Big Weekend, which is being held on 16 and 17 June. You can sign your club right until the last minute and you can find all the resources you need on the Archery GB website.

One of archery's chief selling points is that it is healthy for the mind, body as soul. As we all know, we work a lot harder, and walk a lot further, than anyone not that familiar with our sport might expect. But it is also very good for mental health and that is something that Archery GB takes very seriously. We are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and positive environment for everyone, which is why we have signed up to the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation.

We are proud to be playing our part in tackling the stigma behind mental health problems. We are working on a mental health plan and have set up page on the Archery GB website which carries information, case studies and further information on how archery can support good mental health.

We are also looking for your help. If you have experience of mental health conditions or would like to find out more about being an advocate please email sport@archerygb.org and we will get in touch with more information.

Thank you so much; and have a great and productive summer.

Neil Armitage

Chief Executive

2018 Governance statement

Archery GB has posted its 2018 governance statement outlining its performance, the results of internal and external reviews and all recent changes.

In his introduction, Chairman Mark Davies said: "Good governance is the first requirement of the National Governing Body. This is not because the funding that we get from Government depends on it, although it does, but because it hard-codes into all our structures, and into the sport as a whole, the fairness and transparency to which any member may need to resort in times of difficulty.

"It also ensures that the membership can hold Archery GB, of which Board members are merely the trustees, to account; and that the executive, who run the sport, can be held accountable by the Board.

"Over the last three years, a lot of governance changes have been made in sport as a whole. Archery has not lagged behind in introducing these changes. Rather, the Board has committed wholeheartedly to ensuring that the sport stands at the forefront of inclusivity and accountability. The impact of that commitment will be clear for all to see as we compare performance year-on-year, starting from the benchmark outlined in our first yearbook, published at this year's AGM."

The statement outlines the Board's responsibilities for setting and overseeing strategy and monitoring policy, as well as identifying and managing risks. Changes to the Board over the past year have included:

Moving from four weekend meetings per year to six half day meetings per year. Reducing the number of directors to 10, while maintaining the right level of skills. Reviewing the diversity on the Board and planning future changes. Appointing a Senior Independent Director.

Monitoring Board costs and making reductions. Monitoring director attendance at Board meetings. Appointing directors to oversee policy areas.

It also gives details of an external review of Archery GB which involved 74 tests covering structure, our people, communications, standards and conduct, as well as our policies and procedures. Archery GB passed all the 74 tests.

You can find the full statement on the Archery GB website at About us, Structure>About Us>Governance> Board>Board regulation.

Commercial partnerships update

Becoming less reliant on external funding by generating new sources of income is one of Archery GB's key strategies. Why? Because the way Archery GB receives funding from Sport England and UK Sport has changed.

It means we now have to actively explore alternative revenue streams and we are already making good progress, working with friends and colleagues within the archery industry who share our values and ambitions. Many of these companies were created and are run by individuals who are passionate about archery and have over the years contributed hugely to the growth of the sport in the UK and beyond. We are already in conversation with many people and businesses on this journey towards a more sustainable financial future.

Enhancing the membership's benefit package is something that we are also working to improve. We have already been successful in bringing in a number of affinity partners and will be looking to increase the number and type available. So far we have offers available from Volvo Cars, Cotswold Outdoor, Cycle Surgery, Snow and Rock and Runners Need.

The latest is access to the Whirlpool Privilege Purchase Club. It is a members' only scheme offering exclusive pricing on more than 850 different Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit appliances. These range from washing machines, refrigeration, cookers and dishwashers to Hotpoint's small domestic appliance range. Full details of the member benefits can be found on the website under About us/Membership Benefits.

In the coming months, our Commercial Manager Will Peel will be continuing to develop existing and new partnerships, aiming to add value to all those involved.

Finally, if you work for, or know, any business which would have an interest in being involved with archery, then obviously we would love to have a discussion.

Will Peel can be contacted by email: willpeel@archerygb.org.

Records and achievements

Records

UK records: Field

Compound Unlimited, Junior Ladies

Sinead Byrne, WA Unmarked Blue (U15), 319 Sinead Byrne, WA Double Mixed Blue (U15), 583

UK records: Field Combination

Compound Unlimited, Junior Ladies

Sinead Byrne, WA Mixed Blue (U15), 301

Barebow, Junior Ladies

Kathryn Morton, WA Mixed White (U15), 293 Kathryn Morton, WA Double Mixed White (U15), 581

American Flatbow, Junior Ladies

Lara Kinkaid, WA Mixed White (U15), 134 Lara Kinkaid, WA Double Mixed White (U15), 260

Recurve, Junior Ladies

Andrea Murray Lopez, WA Double Mixed Red (U18), 566

UK records: Target indoor

Recurve, Junior Ladies

Molly Peters, Bray I, 273

Recurve, Junior Gentlemen

Jacob Reid, WA 25m, 582 Alex Wise, WA Combined, 1166

Compound Unlimited, Junior Ladies

Ella Gibson, Bray I, 285 Lucy Mason, Compound Match Round (15 Arrows), 148

Compound Unlimited, Junior Gentlemen

Kai Thomas-Prause, WA Combined, 1151

Compound Unlimited, Gentlemen

Julien Beauquel, Bray II, 289

Barebow Gentlemen

Mark Robertson, Double Portsmouth, 1146

Longbow, Junior Ladies

Rosie Elliott, Stafford, 433 Rosie Elliott, Vegas, 184

Longbow, Junior Gentlemen

Matthew Foreman, Stafford, 429

Longbow, Ladies

Sheila Hudson, WA 18m, 477

Longbow, Gentlemen

Chris Ellis, Bray II, 241 Chris Ellis, Bray I, 229 Alex Newnes, Vegas, 454 Alex Newness, Worcester, 258

UK records: Target outdoor imperial

Recurve, Gentlemen

Patrick Huston, National, 638

Longbow, Junior Ladies

Rosie Elliott, Short Junior National (U14, U12), 510

UK records: Target outdoor para

Recurve, Women Open

Hazel Chaisty, WA 70m, 613 Hazel Chaisty, Hereford, 1126

Recurve, Men Open

David Phillips, 1440, 625

UK records: Target indoor para

Recurve, Women Open

Tania Nadarajah, Portsmouth, 575

Recurve, Men Open

David Phillips, WA 18m, 557 David Phillips, Portsmouth, 582

Recurve/Compound, Women W1

Jo Frith WA 18m 540

Compound, Women Open

Jodie Grinham, WA 18m, 563 Phoebe Pine, WA 18m, 568 Victoria Rumary, Portsmouth, 560

Compound, Men Open

Duncan Moyse, WA 18m, 525 Carl Harding, WA 18m, 553

Achievements: Target Archery

Grand Master Bowman

Recurve

Keith Harding, Clickers Rebekah Tipping, Archery GB

Compound

Victoria Barby, Pentland Alistair Whittingham, Edinburgh Alumni Sarah Prieels, Edinburgh Alumni Lee Miller, Waterside Christopher Cassells, Aberystwyth University Elizabeth Foster, Durham University Adam Ravenscroft, Meriden

Barebow

Andrew Rees, Ballands

Longbow

Sophie Twigg, Exmouth

Master Bowman

Recurve

Francis Berti, Archery GB

Compound

Michael Kells, Swan Colin Williams, Neath Stephen Edwards, Llantarnam Jamie Love, Swan Jon Parris, Bruntwood Andrew Brooks, Six Towns Julien Beauquel, Leamington Spa

Longbow

Patrick Revell, All Abilities Scott Williams, Exmouth Graham Merritt, Eastbourne

Junior Master Bowman U18

Recurve

Eleanor Cole, Richmond

Compound

Molly Peters, Deer Park

Junior Master Bowman U16

Recurve

Shaimaa Abdelhalim, Archery GB

Compound

Grace Chappell, Deer Park

Junior Master Bowman U14

Recurve

Jodie Buckner, Overton Thomas Susca, Bruntwood Ella Shield, Cleve Imogen Newby, Braintree Penny Healey, Bowbrook Kian Watkins, Sleaford Riley Spencer-Nice, Deer Park Daisy Medley, Beeston Rylands

Longbow

Rosie Elliott, Chantry

Junior Master Bowman U12

Barebow

Meghan Robertson, Chessington

WA Star

Recurve

Blue (1200)

Ashley Parker, Six Towns, 1212 Jason Jibrail, Paradox, 1206 Andrew Clark, Whiteleaf, 1203 Emma Davis, University of Warwick, 1203

Black (1100)

Rachel Van Besouw, Southampton, 1169 Tamara Mitchell, Jersey, 1131 Samuel Hallard, Rugby, 1120 Joe Becker, Bowbrook, 1119 Jayne Elliott, Derwent, 1107

White (1000)

Kathryn Thorpe, Farnham, 1064 Lorna Stevens, Cheltenham, 1064 Jamie Goodliffe, University of Nottingham, 1051 Darran Lowe, Hart of Sherwood, 1043

Compound

Gold (1350)

Victoria Duncan, Meriden, 1371 Nigel Lane, Bramcote, 1350

Red (1300)

Victoria Loader, Andover, 1303

Blue (1200)

Hannah Powe, Leicester, 1289

Black (1100)

Michael Dargue, Kirton in Lindsey, 1186

WA Silver Star

Recurve

Blue (1200)

Laura Eyres, Beeston Rylands, 1282

Black (1100)

Finlay Scott, Long Mynd, 1126 Holly Steeper, Kirton in Lindsey, 1076

Compound

Blue (1200)

William Ross, Long Buckby, 1203

White (1000)

Rebecca Ashworth, New Century, 1083

WA Target

Recurve

Red

Alex Wise, Walker, 584 Anthony Wood, C M O, 578

Blue

Matthew Gardiner, Bradford University, 565 Jonathan Dyke, Llantarnam, 560 Robert Caldeira-Hankey, Cody, 560 Jamie Adams, Warfield, 554 Kenneth Harper, Harrow, 553 Charlotte Birch, Wallingford Castle, 551 Aaron Waddington, Welland Valley, 551 Ben Trudgill, University of Exeter, 550

Black

Ashley DoreyFort, Purbrook, 584 Sophie Castle, Canterbury, 548 Jack Lucas, Glen, 548 Hayden De Nooijer, University of Plymouth, 546 Andrew Dungey, St Austell, 542 Nicholas Wilson, Dark Side, 542 Mark Davies, Overton, 538 David Shaw, University of York, 538 Paul Vanetti, Oxford University, 538 Steve Allam, Overton, 537 Nicholas Mount, Wight, 534 Jonathan Potts, Wallingford, 533 Thomas Braxton, Cardiff University, 532 Aaron Waddington, Welland Valley, 529 James Wrigley, Archery GB, 528 Oliver Tse, Richmond, 528 Samuel Hallard, Rugby, 526

White

Shaun Turner, Long Mynd, 536 Colin Simpson, Warfield, 535 Charlotte Rossetti, University of Warwick, 522 Brett Stringer, Andover, 521 Nicholas Mount, Wight, 520 Adam Clark, Grantham, 519 Joshua Green, UCLan, 517

Craig Cherrie, Farnham, 515 Harlie Mason, Wolverhampton, 515 Benjamin Tansell, University of Nottingham, 514 Tim Campbell, Delco, 513 Jack Lucas, Glen, 511 Daniel Speed, Bramcote, 511 Christopher Wright, Sheffield University, 510 Kevin Jones, Whiteleaf, 506 Chris O'Connell, Surrey University, 506 David Inglis, Silver Spoon, 505 Connor Williams, University of Exeter, 503 Tim Fleisig, Atkins, 501 Tony Lewer, Reigate Priory, 501 Melanie Skinner, Burton Joyce, 501 David Scholtz, University of Sussex, 501 Sarah Wilson, University of York, 501

Compound

Gold

Bayley-Rose Sargeant, Canterbury, 695 Nigel Lane, Bramcote, 675

Red

Lesley Brown, Clophill, 650 Julien Beauquel, Leamington Spa, 578

Blue

Alan O’Dowd, Nonsuch, 562 Wayne Mason, Wolverhampton, 555 Stuart Champion, Chichester, 552 Timothy Jackson, University of Warwick, 552 Anne Beer, Audco, 551 Alexandra Bannister, Deans, 551 Simon Axon, Droitwich, 550

Black

Tracy Ellen Reece, Llandaff City, 545 David Harding, R J D, 545 Paul Sanders, Spelthorne, 537 Lisa Mason, Wolverhampton, 529 Matthew Blackwood, Farnham, 529

White

Darren Poyser, Burton Joyce, 524 Zoltan Patak, Archery Fit, 522 Harvey Chalton, R.N. South Coast, 510 Sue Molloy, Guildford, 507

Judith Stolzenburg, Cambria, 503

Barebow

White

Peter Mann, High Weald, 505

WA Silver Target

Recurve

Blue

Penny Healey, Bowbrook, 609 Heather Hughes, Nethermoss, 600

Black

Joshua Inglis, Silver Spoon, 555

Compound

Black

Thomas Lane, Bramcote, 569

White

Thomas Lane, Bramcote, 546

Rose Awards

Recurve

Black

Ali Loughran, Chessington, 915

White

Monique Pascall, Wolverhampton, 843 Claire Hart, Redruth, 837

Compound

Purple

Victoria Loader, Andover, 1258

Gold

Ruth Watson, Andover, 1248 Rachel Boynton, Stortford, 1222

Blue

Lisa Mason, Wolverhampton, 1039

Black

Wayne Mason, Wolverhampton, 970

Longbow

Red

Seth Neill, Redruth, 508

White

Tracy Rigney, Southampton, 278

Junior Rose Awards

Recurve

Red

Scarlett Beagley, Lintman, 1166 Harriet Crook, Wansdyke, 1144 Alison Stevens, Olde Colesdon, 1108

Blue

Luke Davis, Tenzone, 1091 Jannah Khaled, Southfields, 1068 Star Austin, Stortford, 1056 Cameron Oakley, Southfields, 1010

Black

Henry Yuen, Southfields, 997 Liam Jones, Olde Colesdon, 960 Imogen Collier, Stortford, 940

White

Ben Hancock-Smith, Guildford, 883 Alina Ahmad, Southfields, 840

Compound

Gold

Isabella Bruguier, Crystal Palace, 1204

Blue

Charlie Couse, Southfields, 1040 Liam Fairweather, Stortford, 1028

Longbow

Black

Kerry Stringer, Andover, 337

6 Gold End: Senior

Recurve

David Llewelyn, Leamington Spa Adam Taylor, Belfast David Mortimer, Cleve

Compound

Kim Burley, Bognor Regis David Llewelyn, Leamington Spa Karen Ratcliffe, Six Towns

6 Gold End Junior

Recurve

Luke Davis, Tenzone Adam English, Phoenix Alison Stevens, Olde Colesdon

Compound

Charlie Couse, Southfields Isabella Bruguier, Crystal Palace

3 Gold End

Longbow

Adrian Joanna Bennett, Sherwood Carrie Mortimore, Sherwood Ruth Breeze, New Century Ian Stowell, Longbow Club

Handicap Improvers Medal

Robert Guilford, Targetcraft Roy Goddard, South Oxon Finlay Clark, Wyke Lewis Haslam, Anchor

Achievements: Field Archery

Grand Master Bowman

Recurve

Jon Shales, V

Barebow

Mark Robertson, Walker

Master Bowman

Barebow

Marion Patterson, Ballyvally

WA Arrowhead

Barebow

Black

Caoimhe Heaney, Ballyvally, 260

Brown

Kevin Heaney, Ballyvally, 246 Fergie Toland, Ballyvally, 245 Mark Young, Lough Cuan, 231

Kay Kelly, Ballyvally, 213

Achievements: Clout Archery

Six Clout

Barebow

Glyn Jones, Kettering Deborah Hill, Rutland

And finally

A curious thing happened at this year's AGM on membership fees. Three resolutions on the agenda related to a review of laws which sat under the remit of the Board as a legacy of the days when the Board had operational responsibility. It was proposed that those laws be moved to a new terms of reference document setting out membership benefits, rights and responsibilities. With the Board now strategic, and Board members acting as guardians of the sport, it made sense to move operational laws under the remit of the Executive team.

We were aware that one being moved is a sensitive law, the right of the membership to vote on (and therefore effectively decide) the level of membership fees. In order to safeguard that right (and not leave the level of fees in the hands of the Executive), we introduced a proposal to add the ratification of subscription fees to the business of the AGM. The room voted, and with 82 per cent in favour of a proposal which needed 75 per cent, the resolution passed.

What happened next is what was odd. Inexplicably, five electors in the room then called for a poll, demanding the right to re-cast proxy votes collected by club secretaries or regional chairmen and women. That vote came out at just under 75 per cent, such that the right for members to vote on fees, which the Board had recommended and the room had passed, was rejected.

Whether individual members were actually consulted before their votes were cast as they were is something only members will know. But I find it unlikely that members would have rejected the right to set their fees, and I suspect wider agendas were at play. As an independent Chairman, the incident raises serious questions in my mind which I suspect the wider membership will share.

Mark Davies

Chairman

Sponsors

We would like to thank the following sponsors and partners.

Long term support of our core programmes

Lottery Funded Sport England

Lottery funded UK sport

Excellence in Sports Coaching

Helping us raise standards

The Equality Standard: A Framework for Sport

National tour sponsors

Archery GB: National tour logo

Shibuya

Doinker Stabilisers

WIAWIS

Mybo

Hoyt

Trading name

Archery GB is the trading name of the Grand National Archery Society, a company limited by guarantee number 1342150 Registered in England.