ARCHERY: Deer Park awarded £70,000 ‘Inspired Facilities’ grant from Sport England

Sport England Property Director, Charles Johnston, said: “The Inspired Facilities Fund has had a huge impact on grassroots sport across the country. Since 2011, we’ve invested £94million into more than 1,800 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs. It’s great to see Deer Park Archers join the long list of successful clubs to benefit from this fund.”

In the last two years, they have completed the purchase of their own land, secured full planning permission to meet requirements, and made a number of big steps towards our dream of having a facility that will become a real and perhaps all too rare example of an Olympic Legacy.

Junior Squad Team Building & Practice Session last Sunday.

The grant will cover further develop of the ground, including installing toilets and a 90ft covered shooting area.

Along the way members have raised thousands of pounds, secured crucial funding grants to help towards the longer term aim, and at the same time maintained an impressive track record of developing great archers and further expanding activities in the community.

Chairman Stephen Howse commented " This is fantastic news not just for the club but for the community. The grant is a great boost for all our hard working members and will support us continuing to develop our ground to support archers of all abilities and increasing participation levels in our sport. The covered shooting canopy will allow the club to organise events without the worry of our unpredictable English weather."

Already this summer, Deer Park have received £33k from the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust to install drainage to the shooting area, easing access for those with disability and providing all year round use.

Drainage being installed earlier this year.

The installation of the car park was also supported by a £9k grant from Gloucestershire County Council under their 'Active Together' Programme and the pilot Weekly 'Open Community' sessions have proved to be incredibly popular.

Earlier this year local Member of Parliament Mr Laurence Robertson visited the Club to hear first hand of their role in the community, numerous sporting successes and vision for the future.

The development of the ground is not only focused on the target facilities but very much on the environment.

The land was an inert material landfill site 25 years ago, and the club has since planted over 1500 semi mature trees and hedging plants.

Deer Park have cleared masses of dead scrub, cleared a stream and installed 100's of steps to landscape a field archery course to provide another development pathway for archers aspiring to shoot at international level or just wanting a new challenge.

Creating the environment

During the last 12 months the club has become a 'Not for Profit' Company Limited by Guarantee, a CASC ( Community Amateur Sports Club), renewed our Club Mark status and become a registered Environmental Body and set up 3 satellite clubs with over 100 members!

There is a clear need to develop. Archery has never been so popular with national membership levels being the highest ever. The sport is very inclusive, appeals to both the sporty and not so sporty. It's very family orientated and not expensive to participate in.

Lunch Time & After School Clubs generating huge interest in our sport!

Even with the latest round of successful grant applications, they are only part of the way along the journey. And with plans to be at the most effective within the community, more work needs to be done.