Bullseye for Swaffham u3a

Swaffham u3a member Ian talks about how his childhood love of archery led to him setting up a group at his local u3a.

As a school boy, I used to visit the local woods to select suitable saplings to make bows and arrows. The arrows were pretty basic, but good enough to compete with the kit made by my friends. Eventually, I wanted to have better equipment, so I replaced the bows and carefully selected the best split canes from a garden centre which were then crafted to make sharp arrows with flights. During the school holidays, my friends and I competed to be the best shots in town!

When I joined u3a, I organised many outings and events, one of which was a trip to Norwich where u3a members could take part in canoeing and archery. During the archery, I had a conversation with the instructor and was given the contact details of a local Archery Instructor who I discovered would provide all the equipment required. This led to the formation of the archery group - twelve years ago now. 

Archery is a dangerous sporting activity, so the equipment has to be used under close supervision. Our instructor ensures that all members of the group adhere to all the safety rules with his whistle! The group is currently 16 strong and meets once a month indoors, or outside if if the weather is fine. We practice until it is competition time! Like Wimbledon, the highest score wins a dish for the ladies and a cup for the gentlemen. Sometimes we just have more fun popping balloons! 

Many members have been involved with archery in my group for up to 12 years and continue to enjoy the activity and help newer members. Some members have experienced archery fleetingly in the past and joined the group to re-live the fun they had years ago before they moved to the area and joined u3a.

I enjoy the friendliness and enthusiastic competitiveness of members at our meetings. Our instructor and his assistant are always helpful to new members who take note of his advice. Members appreciate the coffee breaks and the opportunity to converse with each other about their life experiences.