Overview
St. George’s Archery Club usually runs a minimum of three Archery GB-approved beginners’ courses each year. Courses can be run outdoors at our Allerton Park ground or indoors at a local facility if available.
Courses are relaxed and fun and comprise one online session and two on-site sessions coached by Archery GB-qualified coaches, assisted by trainees. All shooting and safety equipment is provided. To complete your course, you must commit to attending all scheduled sessions. At the end of the course, you will:
- be able to shoot a recurve bow using barebow and freestyle technique
- have a sound knowledge of basic technique, safety and etiquette to the level required to join a club
- receive a certificate of attendance, which can be used to join any archery club in the UK
FAQs
Equipment
What equipment do I need to bring to a course?
The club provides everything archery-related, and there is tea, coffee and squash on site
You need only provide optional personal items for your comfort, like:
- A chair to use on the field
- Sunscreen
- Hats and clothing for the weather conditions
- Water/Juice bottle for the field
- Dietary required snacks
- Lunch
I have my own equipment. Can I use it on the course?
The simple answer is no. We do not recommend buying equipment until 3 months after your beginner’s course. For the course, you will need to use standard club kit for safety. Coaches can offer advice on how to set up your own kit after the beginner’s course.
Parents or Guardians (Non-AGB members)
Do I need to be a member for my child to join the club?
The simple answer is no. After the course, juniors will still need to be accompanied by a responsible adult when they shoot at the club, and also by an adult Archery GB member for insurance purposes. This means that shooting is restricted for juniors when adult members are present. For this reason, you may want to consider taking a beginner’s course and joining the club alongside your junior(s); it is not mandatory, but it is recommended.
How old do juniors need to be?
Children (under 18) are welcome to participate in the club’s Courses from the age of 8 years. Under Archery GB and club policies for the protection of children and vulnerable adults, all juniors must be accompanied throughout the course by a parent or a responsible adult. All our coaches are DBS-checked.
AGB considers those under 21 years of age as juniors, and fees to join the club are aligned with this definition. However, for beginner courses, the distinction is 18 years old.
Other Course Questions
How much does it cost?
Beginners’ courses cost £75 per adult and £50 per junior.
Full payment will be requested with your course application. These fees are non-refundable.
Can I buy a voucher as a gift?
No, we have tried this in the past, and it becomes a challenge to maintain fair processing when someone has prepaid.
Can I book a place on a specific future course?
Places are offered based on individuals’ availability and position on the waiting list, and so we are unable to accept advanced bookings for a specific course.
If I’m unable to attend all three sessions, can I make up the missed sessions in the next course?
The course sizes are scaled based on the number of available coaches, and you are assigned to a specific coach for consistency. Also, we have a hard limit of students per coach; splitting a course would require leaving space on another course to accommodate this. For these reasons, splitting completion across multiple courses is not an option.
If I am on the waiting list and am unavailable for a course, will that affect my position?
Declining to attend a course will not affect your place in the list.
I was offered a place on the last course but had to decline due to a change in circumstances. Will I be automatically loaded on the next course I am available for?
Not necessarily so. If you were offered a place due to a lack of availability from people higher up the list, you will still retain your place on the list and may be offered a spot on the next course, but that is dependent on the size of the course and the availability of others.