QAC is hitting the target!

The QAC Archery Club session held in the College’s Sports Hall was an extra special one earlier this month.  As well as being part of GB Archery’s ‘Aim for Paris’ events, the group also celebrated the charity recently becoming an Archery GB Archery Activity Partner (AAP). The Archery Activity Partner (AAP) programme is open to organisations not looking to become Archery GB clubs, but still to have an official link. 

The QAC Archery Club welcomed Helen Smedley (Midlands Regional Development Officer) and Coach Tony Errington from Archery GB to the session. They were on hand to provide guidance and support to both staff and clients from the Charity’s Residential/Independence Plus service who had been invited to attend this fully-inclusive, open event.

Around 20 people took part, some shooting for the very first time, nearly everyone with different levels of abilities, and the enjoyment and improvements were clear to see during the afternoon. The sessions, which are always free to attend, was even more exciting as the club had recently received funding from both a Sport England Award and Archery GB in conjunction with The Fletchers Trust, to the value of approximately £3,500. Thanks to this funding new equipment is now being enjoyed at both the Monday sessions and the Friday staff sessions.

Ian Hales, who runs the archery clubs commented that it had been amazing to have the new equipment and fabulous to welcome Archery GB along to offer support and coaching to those in attendance mentioning specifically that one of the clients has never hit the target so much! “We are so grateful for your support with this project, you can really see the difference it will make to this group going forward”.“The best thing about today’s session was watching people’s faces, they were buzzing!” One client said “The first thing I’m doing when I get back is I’m phoning my mum to tell them all about it!”

Helen Smedley from GB Archery commented “It was a real privilege for Tony and I to be present for the Aim for Paris event at QAC today and support this new AAP. We were thrilled to see the fruits of Ian’s hard work over the last few years, be able to support and encourage Ian as an Instructor, and see the immediate impact the support from the Fletchers’ Trust has had, through the new appropriate equipment we have been able to supply this kind of inclusive archery group.”