We are a welcoming club for those of all abilities, whether you have been shooting for years or have never touched a bow before we are happy to have you. Archery is a highly personal sport and can mean very different things for everyone, we support our competitive archers in their training and competitions, and others shoot every week to have a good time and meet new people. We provide all required equipment and training and you need no prior experience, plus there is no required commitment to attend sessions.
We compete in both BUCS and NEUAL (North England University Archery League), as well as in local non university affiliated competitions from local clubs. Attending competitions is completely optional but highly encouraged. We have several experienced archers who will be going with you and the archery community is very welcoming to new archers, so you will be fully supported and there is no pressure to perform. Competitions have both a novice and experienced category, so you will only be shooting against those with similar experience to you, so do not feel you are at a disadvantage if you start shooting only at Durham. Archery is an individual sport so it is up to each person to develop their technique and scores over time and in their own way. We have several regular coaches at different training sessions who can help develop your skills, and we will run multiple dedicated sessions through the term focusing on different aspects of the shot sequence to help you improve.
New archers will be required to complete a beginners course before being able to shoot at competitions and regular sessions, this is not something to worry about and not a test. You will work with our field captains and coaches over your first few sessions to learn everything you need to keep yourself and others safe whilst shooting. Once we are happy with your capability, you will be given an account with Archery GB, which will allow you to shoot at any other archery club (subject to their own assessment). Already experienced archers will be given a safety assessment to determine their knowledge level and given any refreshers if needed.
Archery has multiple common bowstyles that compete separately, recurve, barebow, compound and longbow. Beginners will start with barebow (what you may have shot before!) then encouraged to try recurve which is the main style shot in the Olympics and includes a sight and stabilisers. Compound bows have cambelt assisted draw and are less common. The club has both a compound and and longbow for you to try so there is something for everyone!
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