Getting into Archery

Course dates and details

Upcoming Courses:

The next scheduled beginners' courses and other events will take place on the following dates:

Beginners' nights are held on Wednesdays from 7:30pm - 9:30pm and are open to anyone from the ages of 10 upwards. We take Eight beginners per course, which consists of six shooting lessons; the seventh lesson of each course is an optional advice evening on the use of suitable equipment (Tackle Night) for those wishing to continue in archery.
All the necessary safety and shooting equipment needed for the course is provided for you, though we do ask that you wear footware with flat soles (ie. no heels); the most important thing you need to bring along is yourself!

n.b. Completing the beginners' course does not guarantee permanent membership of Cleadon Archers.

Unfortunately, we can only provide enough places for about 32 beginners during an indoor season so some will have to wait over a year for lessons. So, particularly for those enquiring between February and June, there is likely to be a bit of a longish wait, although outdoor coaching is a possibility (see below). Please remember to let us know of any changes in contact details (telephone number or email address) while you are on the list or you may miss out!

To see where you are on the list, see the waiting list page; if you don't want your name published there then please email us and we can give you a reference number instead.

Dates for each transition between outdoor and indoor shooting can be found on the Calendar Page.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION!
Anyone interested in joining one of our indoors beginners' courses should contact the club by email to have their name put on the waiting list. You should include your contact details and whether any of the potential beginners are under the age of 18 (required for child protection policy). We will contact the people highest on the list two months before the course to offer them their place. Registration forms will be sent out and must be returned, with the payment of £45, before the deadline to take their place on the course. If you are paying by cheque, please make it payable to "Cleadon Archers". If the form and payment are not returned by the deadline date, that place will be offered to the next person on the list.

On of the important issue of Child Protection, both Archers and the Parents/Guardians of young archers are reminded that under no circumstances are under-18s allowed to shoot without supervision of at least two adults; one of these must be a GNAS archer who is willing to take responsibility for the safety of that child. If an archer under the age of 14 is to shoot, there must be a Parent/Legal Guardian present as well as a GNAS archer who has agreed to take responsibility.

I must stress that we are not trying to put junior archers off shooting in any way; this is simply to ensure that they are properly and safely supervised when shooting.

Any beginners who desperately wish to be coached over the summer can contact the club with regard to being trained on an ad-hoc basis (but this must be done by an experienced archer). There are no organised courses over the Summer due to the fickleness of the British weather. The coaching of beginners through Cleadon Archers MUST be arranged through, and formally sanctioned by, the club's committee (for insurance purposes). Perhaps the best suggestion is to come along to the a shooting session and see who we are and what we do, first-hand.
If you would like further or more specific information, Contact Us.

Lapsed Archers and Exiles!

Though we do have many members, we are often more than willing to accept experienced archers into our ranks, depending on the space we have available.

Range Safety

The most important aspect of any sport is staying enjoying it safely; In each of the following sketches, there's an important message to remember...

Before you shoot, think of the following...


When shooting, etiquette and safety are particularly important...