Alan Hayden – grant for new compound bow June 2024:

Just a quick update on how I'm coming along with the new bow.

Bit of slow start due to having to have a heart operation but I'm almost back to full fitness and shooting again. The bow itself is fully set up to work with my shooting harness and results are very good both indoors and out so far. I have been invited onto the Quicks Archery Team for this year, which I'm more than happy to accept. I have told Les at Quicks that I am available if any enquires come in from disabled customers or archers that they require help with. I have left a link to the team page. 

This year we are traveling around the country attending major shoots to see about getting the required scores for the GB selection shoot to go to the Para World Champs later this year. I feel confident about being able to do this especially with my new equipment, which again I thank you and the Worshipful Fletchers for.

I will keep you informed as the year goes on as to my progress.

Deborah Illman-Roberts  – grant for low profile wheelchair back March 2025

Winter 2024/25 and Grant Update

As the 2025 Outdoor Season is upon us it seems a good time to give you an update as to how the last 7 months have gone. I ended last outdoor season with several days at Lilleshall for the National Disability Championships and the National County Team Championships. I shot five WA50m rounds in two weeks and gained a lot of experience in head-to-head matches and single arrow shoot offs, each competition qualifying and finishing around the middle of the table. This was a positive end to the outdoor season for me and gave me lots to work on during indoors. In the National rankings I finished 69/143 and in the Welsh Archery Association rankings I finished 5/17, both reasons to be pleased and showed improvement on the previous season.

Going into indoor season saw a move to a new club, which gave me greater, independent accessibility and much more shooting time availability. With this move, I had a plan in mind, to take the indoor season a little quieter and work on some new processes with my coaches. I’ve really enjoyed, and got an awful lot out of, spending many weekends in Stoke Mandeville with the British Wheelchair Archery Association (BWAA).

I have shot a few indoor competitions: Deer Park Archers Inclusion Series; Chester Indoors; NWAS and Indoor Annual Portsmouth and the LAA Indoor Championships. These have seen mixed results, but they were expected with all the changes to form and process that I’ve been making, which was my main aim over the winter.

The penultimate weekend of March, I finished my indoor season shooting at the Civil Service Archery Association (CSAA) National Indoors and tri-way competition. What a fantastic event between the CSAA, BPAA (British Police) and RAFAA (RAF) and one I’ll look forward to returning to. I came away with silver in the individual Women’s Compound and with gold as part of the overall winning CSAA team in the tri-way shoot.

March was a good month as mid-way through I also found out I had been awarded a grant from The Worshipful Company of Fletchers for a new archery specific wheelchair back. I am beyond grateful and know the positive impact this will have on my shooting longer term. This new back falls well within the limits for the height of a wheelchair back as I moved forward on my archery journey, and I know a lower chair back will benefit me in working on and improving the use of my back muscles and a more consistent release technique. Since I started archery in October 2022 I have gained so much, it’s not just a hobby, it’s become an important part of my life. I have ongoing battles with my mental health in light of what I feel I have lost as a result of my long-term conditions, but archery is the one place I always take myself to, it’s my peace and solace. Any archer knows how frustrating, challenging and unpredictable the sport can be, yet it’s one big family and it’s given me so much joy back in my life. Receiving the grant for the new chair back will enable me to continue to grow and give back to the sport that has already given me so much.

I look forward to everything the Summer of 2025 has to offer me and owe The Worshipful Company of Fletchers a great deal of gratitude for their continued support.

Philam Nguyen – grant to replace stolen equipment March 2025:

This is such a beautifully generous contribution and gesture to replace my stolen equipment. I can't even tell you how appreciative I am! You have my deepest thanks for your incredible work and to everyone at the worshipful fletchers. 

 I'd also like to give thanks on behalf of CEDAK too. CEDAK created an amazing community of disabled archers in Kent, and the support provided by The Worshipful Fletchers has provided the funding to continue the great work they've been doing. So I very much thank you in their behalf.

Mary Mitchell  – grant for new bow, rest, button and arrows December 2024:

As the start of the new outdoor competition season begins, I wanted to let you and the Liverymen know how I'm getting on, but also to say a massive Thank You.

When I think back a full 12months to how my archery life has changed, i'm constantly amazed at what has happened, this time last year i was just thinking about attending the next county coaching session at Silver Spoon Bowmen, i hadn't been able to shoot at all over the winter, there were no thoughts of competing or anything like that, i hadn't heard of the Fletcher's, BWAA, nor had i met many disabled archers, so despite loving archery i felt quite isolated and lonely, not really sure who to turn to for advice or support.

 I then attended a Lincolnshire County Coaching session in April 2024 and things started to change after I was encouraged to attend the National Disability Championships at Lillieshall. It's been a scary, nail-biting, exciting year a lot of the time well outside my comfort zone.

 This winter I have been fortunate to find a second club that has indoor range facilities which means I have been able to practice at least once a week for the last 3 months which has had a massive impact on my confidence but has also reflected in my scores at the various competitions I have been able to compete in.

I have competed in:

• Malcolm Adams Winter Indoor Series (Worcester - Nov, WA18 - Dec, Portsmouth - Jan, WA25 - Feb, Worcester - Mar) hosted by the Friskney Bowman I came 2nd overall in Ladies Barebow having achieved PB's in each competition
• Lincolnshire Indoor Championships (Portsmouth) in March I came 3rd in Ladies Barebow with 4 points off my PB of 497 (picture of medal attached)
• Deerpark Inclusion Series - Nov & Feb winning both with PB's

In mid-April I also competed in my first outdoor competition of the season with a National 30 at Silver Spoon Bowmen, where I scored 626 out of a maximum 648 (scoresheet attached). 

Towards the end of April,  I shot and gained my barebow 40yds 252, with scores of 262 and 272 and also shot at 50yds for the first time with a 252 score of 206.

I feel honoured and blessed to have been awarded the money to help pay for my new bow. My scores have come on in leaps and bounds over the last few months and a good chunk of that is down to lots of practice and coaching but I don't think I would have improved as much without my new bow. So I wanted to Thank You to you all for giving me the money.

Pictures are of Alan Hayden and Mary Mitchell