Residents from Grantham and across the country can give archery a go next weekend.

Town club Grantham Archers is taking part in Archery GB's big weekend at Walton Academy.

A spokesman said: "On Sunday 11th July you can come and see the club and try archery for free! This is a free ticketed event so you will need to book using the link below."

Fifteen minutes slots can be booked online and people can email the club using the address [email protected] if they have any questions.

Grantham Archers is a small and friendly club, formed in 1984.

With three qualified coaches, the club runs courses for beginners. It has a multi-age range of members from 9 to the oldest member of 79.

Maggie Parker the Paralympic Gold Medalist started her archery career at Grantham Archers. Neil Dowsett who represented Great Britain in the Compound discipline started at Grantham. It has also had Simon Terry the Olympic Bronze Medalist as a member.

Archery GB says archery is a fun and inclusive sport perfect for anyone wanting to try something new - on their own or with their family and friends - even those who have never picked up a bow before will be able to enjoy the feeling of achievement as an arrow hits the target!

The Big Week/ Big Weekend is an annual event organised by Archery GB in partnership with The Archery Shop (www.thearcheryshop.co.uk) aimed at encouraging more people to have a go at archery.

To mark what is set to be a fantastic summer of Olympic and Paralympic sport, there are archery clubs right across Great Britain and Northern Ireland taking part in the Big Weekend and opening their doors to potential archers, welcoming them to try out the sport for the first time. Nine clubs* representing the different regions are also offering FREE beginners handbooks to those who subsequently choose to take up the sport.

This summer, The Big Weekend is also accompanied by The Big Week (5th – 9th July), which will see additional archery activities take place at schools, centres and clubs across the country - spreading the word about the benefits of archery even further in local communities and providing more opportunities for anyone to have a go.

Archery is a fun and inclusive activity and The Big Weekend and The Big Week offer everyone the opportunity to experience something different while making new friends - there will be someone on hand to introduce newcomers and help them to start archery straightaway. As an extra incentive, everyone attending The Big Weekend will receive a 15% discount on all purchases during the summer months** at Cotswold Outdoor.

By enticing new participants to the sport, it is hoped archery's natural appeal to a wide audience will be evident to everyone involved. Events will be run within the latest Have a Go event Covid guidance from Archery GB.

Visitors of all ages and abilities will be able to have a go at the sport, which is naturally socially-distanced, often experienced outside and therefore a great option for those who understandably remain cautious as Covid restrictions are gradually lifted.

All equipment will be provided at The Big Weekend and The Big Week events, therefore anyone interested in starting archery just needs to check the arrangement at their club of choice - for example whether a booking is required - and go along to find out more for themselves***.

To help even more people get into archery, Archery GB is also launching a brand new Start Archery website, which will provide everything beginners need to know about taking up the sport, including where to find courses and clubs. It will also offer a range of resources for schools and organisations.

For more information about the Big Weekend, finding your local club and whether a booking is required, please visit www.archerygb.org/bigweekend or www.startarchery.co.uk

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