If you would like to consider trying archery how do you start?

The first step is to find a club in your area if one exists. Using this N.C.A.S. site first look for the county within which you live. If near a county border you may also like to look at clubs just ‘over the border’.

This site provides a list of clubs and normally a contact name for the county secretary for counties that constitute Northern Counties. A separate ‘off-site’ county web site may exist and you may find it better to link to this for more up to date information on their clubs. Either contact the county secretary OR use their web-site for more information and methods of communicating with your chosen club. If all else fails please contact the regional secretary who may be able to give you an alternative contact name.

Not all clubs run ‘beginner’s’ or novice courses throughout the year as each club has individual facilities, but nothing should be in place to stop you learning the basic’s at one club and moving to another, more convenient, later.

Under GNAS (Grand National Archery Society) insurance you may take a course in archery and the club insurance cover will extend to you for a limited period, normally the duration of the course which may be between four and six sessions. After this period you must decide if you like the sport sufficiently to carry on. The insurance lapses at this point and only becoming a member of GNAS can carry it on.

Various levels of membership exist. You may decide to affiliate directly to GNAS by ‘Direct Membership’, or by taking ‘standard’ membership out whereby you affiliate through club then county and through region to GNAS although it is not always mandatory to affiliate to county and region. Many of the benefits, however, come via county and region and non-affiliation will most likely result in these more ‘local’ benefits being denied to you in one form or other. Juniors, disabled and University students often have clubs of their own which offer archery at much reduced rates. If you fit into one of these categories then follow them through your selected county contact.

Once involved then you must decide how actively you wish to pursue the sport, as it is just that, an Olympic sport.

Many clubs are content to be mostly recreational while others may exhibit a much more ‘competitive’ feel. You should never feel that you are obliged to take the sport further than you wish, but you should be aware that our club system is not ‘league’ based and you may be in the company of some highly competitive and motivated archers shooting at the same club venue as others who wish only to shoot at a much more leisurely pace.

No matter what you decide we wish you success in your venture into archery if that is your chosen route.