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Frequently Asked Questions

• My child is interested in doing the course, do I have to do the course with them?

  No, you don't have to do the course with them, although the majority of parents choose to. We often find that children enjoy sharing the experience with their parents as most sports don't provide the opportunity for children and adults to join in together.

• My child is booked on the course, do I have to stay with them?

  If your child is under 16, you will need to stay with them during each session. If your child is 16 or 17 years old, you need to arrive with them and return to collect them later, but you may leave them during the session after prior arrangement with one of the coaching team.

• Do children and adults do the course together?

  Yes, everybody does the course together at the same time. A typical course would have 12-16 participants and be roughly one-third children and two-thirds adults.

• I'm a shift-worker and cannot make all three sessions of the course, what should I do?

  You can still attend the course, but you should make sure you book a course where you can attend the first session and then either the second or third session. We can then chat with you on the course about catching up your missed session at another time.

• Can I buy a gift voucher for a friend or family member to do the course?

  Yes, you can book a specific course for somebody else as a gift, or buy an open-ended gift voucher which they can redeem for a place on a course up to one year from the date of issue. For more details, please click here.

• How often do you run courses and when are they?

  We run courses every month of the year except September, please click here to see our currently available courses. Each course consists of three sessions which are held on the first three Saturday mornings of the month.

• I have a disability or injury which I think might affect me shooting, can I still do the course?

  We are disabled-friendly although some conditions or injuries may impact your ability to draw the bow safely. Please contact us and one of our coaches will be happy to discuss the options with you.

• Can my family/friends come and watch me do the course?

  Yes, you can have family or friends come along and watch you during the sessions.

• Should I be nervous about being the only child/adult/retired/male/female person on the course?

  No, please don't be nervous, all sorts of different people attend our courses. We have children as young as 8 years old and men and women right up into their 80s who come to learn to shoot. A typical course would have 12-16 participants and be roughly one-third children and two-thirds adults.

• Is all the equipment provided, do I need to bring anything?

  All the equipment that you will need is provided. Please dress appropriately for the weather, we will be shooting outdoors unless there is heavy rain, in which case we will shoot indoors.

• What format is the course?

  Each session runs from 9:15 AM until noon, during which you will spend around 2.5 hours learning to shoot, with a short tea-break in the middle of the session. Tea/coffee/biscuits are provided as part of the course, there is no additional charge.

• What will I learn on the course?

  The aim of the course is to teach you enough about the archery equipment, range safety and basic shooting technique to allow you to join the club (or any other Archery GB affiliated club) so that you can continue to shoot, enjoy and develop your technique and skills as an archer. We appreciate that not everybody taking the course is intent on carrying on with the sport afterwards, so the course is designed to be fun and enjoyable at the same time as giving you the opportunity to learn.

• What happens after the course?

  After completing the beginner course there is an opportunity to join the club and also rent equipment. After you join the club there is a post-beginners course which you can attend for free. This course teaches you the next steps and explains the equipment and technique in more detail, as well as introducing you to awards and classifications. Most new archers will achieve their first archery award during this course. Information on club membership and equipment rental is handed out during the beginners course.

• When do Stylist Bows visit the club?

  If you are renting equipment from Stylist Bows, or would like to, they visit the club on the 4th Saturday morning of every month (9 AM until noon), except December when they visit on the 3rd Saturday morning of the month.