This is been an emotional week on a personal level so I thank those who have supported me, checked up on me and those working on projects with me – for your patience when I took time to give to the important issues over the weekend, there will be a repeat of this next month.
However, for Integr8Archery this week has been important for schools, two approaches from new schools in new counties, early days but potentially very exciting. Progress on existing schools and this week saw the first session delivered at Weavers Academy- thank you Chris, the first curriculum sessions at Wrenn – thank you Maggie and updates on the latest group at Roecroft Lower School – thank you Julie. This week between these three sites we have seen 65 children pick up a bow for their first taste of archery. Thank you so very much ladies for helping these schools on their way to sustainable archery.
New members registered for Integr8Archery club and a bunch of paperwork coming back for my next batch. Meetings is the theme of the coming week, along with shooting with an important young chap and of course my first session of my Disability Coaching Course, just my luck the trains are disrupted that day! 🫣😂
That’s it for today, short but important I think. I am proud of all of my work, but getting new people involved is always exciting. Have a good week, catch up soon ❤️🏹
Amazing children only starting but with a determination to achieve self set goals.
So another busy, busy week.
So what have I been up to?
A social evening of thanks from Northamptonshire Sports for the volunteers at events in 2022, a great way to properly chat to those we see when working together at sporting events and actually really motivating to discuss what we all do this for, so many people ask why I give my time so regularly to others. Talking about sports we personally do and those we most prefer to volunteer at, so for me archery, running and open water swimming. Outside of my own sport I have to say I think my most enjoyable event this year was probably the pride colour run, such a great atmosphere.
The second evening of PACE ( parents against child exploitation), this is a series of 4 webinars and is open to those who care for and work with children and young people. This is a topic I have covered in my working life and have had some dealings with but these sessions are so much more. Heavy topic? absolutely, but county lines is a very real issue and something we may see signs of when working with children. As a safeguarding officer I have had children disclose information as I am a safe adult.
This session was especially emotional as the amazing Kendra of Out of the Shadows told her story, another amazing person using their own experience to teach and inspire and bring about change.
Another day of archery at Wrenn school to showcase what we have planned – curriculum, after school and a club. It was great to catch up with the children we spent the day with in July and meet a couple of new children picking up a bow. They have thought so much about what they want to aim for since those conversations in the early summer and it was fantastic to speak with representatives of the trust, especially as a second school from the trust is looking to follow a similar path. Our plans with Wrenn have hit some bumps in the road not created by the school or Integr8Archery but with continuous open communication we are figuring ways around the issues whilst we await those responsible to step up and resolve. I am genuinely excited to see what these children will achieve by the summer of 2023, I will keep you updated.
2 assignments submitted for my course, grant applications submitted for some of the groups.
My induction completed and my previously completed charter confirmed for the Sport for Development Coalition, another great group of like minded people trying to bring about change through sport. I have signed up to a number of things already, so no doubt I will be sharing more information over the coming months, is there anything more important for us to focus on other than Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, access to sport for all, and advocacy?
I got to catch up with one of my out of school setting children who attended our sessions on a Monday, at that time he was an alternate placement child. He is now back in mainstream school and taking part in archery there as the school is one of the schools in my archery in education project. How fantastic to see sport help him ease back into mainstream setting with his peers.
The other piece of news, which I am really excited about is that after being on a waiting list to start my coaching course with the Inclusive Activity Leader Program with the Disability Sports Coaching group, I was interviewed and accepted and I start my 6 months course on the 12th November and after 50-60 hours of class and placement I should be all set to help deliver 5 (Boccia, Polybat, Table Cricket, New Age Kurling and Goalball) sports in an adaptive environment. Without a doubt I am passionate about my sport and all that can be achieved with archery, but inclusion and the issues around it sees one of the biggest issues being availability of providers for adaptive sports, so lets set about increasing access by learning more sports to deliver.
Pride colour run, permission to be as silly as you like – what’s not to love!
Last week’s republished blog was around the changes created by my physical health and the pain it creates, the decision to continue to shoot or quit. This week is around the battles my mental health can create and sees a republish of a blog that I wrote and was first published by Aim4Sport on the 19th February 2022.
This seems particularly important as I have rounded off my outdoor season with a shoot for the county today and I have reflected on my personal social media how the first competition of the outdoor season saw me cry through three dozen arrows as I battled with the idea of loosing my sport completely, had a rollercoaster of emotion, successes and failures but I am reaching the end of the season in a different mind set to how I started.
So, I again, invite you to grab a cuppa and read this from earlier in the year:
MAYBE THE BIGGEST SUCCESS WAS JUST LEAVING THE HOUSE?
Published 19th February 2022
Right now life isn’t easy, there are a long list of things happening and I am waiting on tests and results on top of all of that. I haven’t been able to shoot properly after upsetting my back, literally 3 weeks ago today I couldn’t put my foot flat to the floor and I am blessed that my physio is also my friend and that my coach is my best friend because that is what it took to get me through that particular evening. So today was going to be my first real competition with Calliope (my new bow). Booked weeks ago and long before all of the things that have hit to add to the usual struggles.
I had finally managed to get my first class badge with the 2021 outdoor season – 3 years in the making and hard earned. So I came to the outdoor season with a goal and a new bow!
Tried a frostbite on Boxing Day and couldn’t finish, then the back!!!
Had a couple of issues leading up to this week, like sitting crying with my laptop because I could not press the on button and having to call the office to admit that my mental health had tanked. Sunday morning arrived and I love competition, I am only shooting against myself and never have an expectation of the actual event itself. But today it was tough, really tough, for a variety of reasons. Still struggling with the concept of sitting to shoot some days, because no matter how much support you have, some days the voices who are trying to push you down are louder.
No you can’t see what is wrong with me, no you have no right to ask or to share your opinion of me, but some feel it’s ok to tell you if you can’t stand you shouldn’t be shooting.
So, feeling vulnerable and having a rough week, I discover my agent is not joining me.
Why am I trying? Why am I fighting, surely just quitting would be easier!!
But I have people in my life who know how I would view that later if I gave in!! So with some encouragement I took a deep breath and left the house, not easy and I have, in the past, spent weeks/months in the house unable to step outside so never underestimate the effort it may have taken to step over the threshold and go outside.
By the time I arrived I was sobbing, tears streaming down my face, but I knew there were people inside that range who would support me, and all the things in my head trying to tell me to go home would be wrong if I could just get out of the car. So I walked in and indeed there were people, archers who don’t need information but I just reached out and said I need your help, I need to shoot today to allow me to continue tomorrow or that may be the end of my shooting for good.
And help they did with no information, people who knew me, people who didn’t, getting me and my kit in, set up and onto the line. Three different agents over 2 sessions. Pretty? Not at all!! Though there were a lot of photos taken so I will see if I looked like I might have vaguely had a clue how to shoot! Scores? Who cares? First competition with a new bow, no agent and overwhelming anxiety.
I came home with 2 silver medals for the single and the double rounds but they are more like medals for surviving the day. I cannot thank the people who got me through today enough and I look forward to returning to the same venue in 6 weeks to shoot again, hopefully with a smile on my face. But also, from my day, came learning. A club who saw me and the issues and reached out to ask some questions about the stool and how I felt and a realisation that actually they have never really taken into account some elements around seated archers, so a conversation with the judges and some new things in place to allow them to support anyone who shoots with them to be in the most comfortable environment that they can be.
It makes a difference to know a club welcomes anyone and will work with them to get things right if they realise they can improve. So on a day when my biggest achievement was leaving the house and not letting the voices in my head beat me and take away my sport, a positive experience for us all and one that will hopefully help others in the future. My point? Be kind, always kind because you never know what someone went through just to be stood in the room with you.
What an unusual week it’s been. We are most definitely living through history following the loss of the Queen on Thursday.
Lots of work done, quietly getting on with it in the background, being respectful of any directions are being issued around what we should and shouldn’t do during the period of national mourning.
My first EMAS meeting following my return to the safeguarding role, very grateful to have been given the time to look after myself before making that decision.
Meetings with 3 schools in Northamptonshire, 2 looking to launch their clubs now that the regular sessions have settled down, resolved some of the issues still working on some details?
My first flight workshop presentation completed and I think I now have some of those archers ready to take it up at competition next year.
Followed by my own day at the national flight competition, bringing home 2 golds, a silver and a bronze but, most importantly having great fun with my flight family. What can I say? Turns out that I love footbow! Who knew! Enjoyed the flight bow too!
Now I am at Wollaton Hall for the European Para Championships then the National Tour Final. Always fun to be amongst the volunteers who put these events on. I will answer queries whilst I am away but be aware that I am doing a lot so will likely be slower than normal in my replies.
28/6/22 – With the help of people who believe in me, I put out my idea of how to move forward after weeks of crying about what was happening, and within 12 hours we had come up with a name, I had the most amazing logo and a plan.
24 hours later with the help of a couple of people who proved they had buckets of patience – I had the makings of my website.
Fast forward a month I have taken on and fulfilled some new events , I have tidied up existing projects , moved them forward, and I am creating huge new relationships.
I am currently working on a possible 8 primary schools and two secondary schools in Northamptonshire. 3 events for the summer holidays and working with 2 groups who are new to Integr8Archery.
Along with partnering with a new county that so far has a possible 12 primary schools and 5 secondary schools.
This week? So far I have been to Lilleshall for 2 days of the youth festival to support some juniors who’s parents reached out to see if I could go over and, whilst there , had some productive conversations with people at Archery GB around a number of things, which may lead to me being on some new working groups later in the year.
I am incredibly grateful to have had people support me and look at different things with me, never do I take any of it for granted.
Hopefully in the next few weeks some things I am working on in the background will be in a position to have me make some announcements – so I am still excited and nervous – but now I am also a little bit brave and a little bit proud!!! Oh and as always I am winging it 🤪😂 every single day!!!
So as we slide towards the end of week 4 it’s been another busy week.
Lots of new contacts for new groups wanting us to provide sessions for them. I am very grateful to the people who share our details after enjoying what we deliver with them. Some exciting things happening over the summer holidays as a result… .. Watch this space to see what we do for them – exciting!
Congratulations to Julie Speltinckx who was one of the sessions coaches I part funded through the Archery in Education project, and who, after helping with the out of school setting group in Northamptonshire, has trusted in herself, and started her school group who have had a great beginning over the last several weeks and have now broken up for the summer holidays. It will be great to see what happens for them from September.
On top of that I have been arranging my couple of days at the youth festival after being asked to go and support some amazing juniors and, of course, preparing for my extended week volunteering at the European championships in just a couple of weeks.
But for today, it’s paperwork and showing you my shirts! So here they are…..!!
I love them and cannot wait to get my first order so I can be wearing them. So grateful to Neil for taking the information I gave him, giving me 8 designs, letting me tweak things and here we go – the two I have chosen with the help of my team selected to share ideas and opinions.
So today’s event at the local school has been postponed until Monday to allow us to move indoors. This will be a great day to give back to a group of young carers who do an amazing job of both attending school and keeping up with their education, whilst at the same time taking care of someone .
They will have so much more fun being inside in the cooler environment than trying to battle the rising temperatures and heatwave.
With this in mind, and the fact that earlier in the year I signed up with melanoma fund to become a sun guard ambassador I would ask you to take some time to look at how you take care of yourself over the next few days.
Key is looking at heatstroke, heat exhaustion and hydration.
Staying safe and well in the heat – messaging from public health for parents/carers and guardians:
A Heat-Health alert has been put into place as even overnight temperatures are predicted to be very warm.
High temperatures come with health consequences for some people. It’s important to protect those most vulnerable including our children, those with health conditions and elderly, as well as keeping yourself safe.
Here are our top tips for staying safe in the heat: • look out for those who may struggle to keep themselves cool and hydrated • stay hydrated, take water with you if you are travelling or out and about • stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm as this is when UV rays are the strongest – avoid physical exertion at this time • if you have to go out in the heat stay in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a wide brimmed hat • close curtains in rooms that the sun faces – this will help rooms remain cooler – remember it could be cooler outdoors than indoors • never leave anyone in a parked closed vehicle – especially not animals, children or babies • avoid travelling at peak times on motorways, particularly if transporting children or the elderly • sadly accidents, often fatal, happen in water at this time of year particularly involving youngsters. That’s why we’re asking parents to supervise their children in and around water. Although it can be fun to cool off in water structures such as bridges, locks and flood channels, and reservoirs and quarries should be avoided. Make sure you know the RNLI’s Float to Live • unexpectedly cold water or strong currents can catch even experienced swimmers off guard. Better to swim safely at one of the county’s organised events where support is provided
Look out for signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and follow some common sense behaviours to make the most of what should be a glorious time for most.
I have been working on my schools project since I picked up the phone to Northamptonshire Sports in May 2021. The joy I get watching children pick up a bow and shoot their first arrow, then a few tweaks and hitting the boss and away we go. I often hear talk of soft archery versus real archery!! There is a place for both!
Soft archery can allow for challenges that require a slower learning pace, moving to pointy arrows at a steadier progression. Maybe strength issues? Space related issues , preventing full boss and off shoot areas in keeping with the rules of shooting. 3 weeks ago I was invited to help out at the Wellingborough leg of the inter county soft archery competitions.
On the day awarding individual and team medals, whilst finding the four teams to go through to today’s event. 2 different archery competitions – arrows and inclusive archery. Again individuals and team events awarded medals but in the wider environment of the county school games hosted by Northamptonshire Sports.
18 competitions, 138 teams, 1200 participants and 160 young leaders supporting the different activities.
A great day of encouraging children to push their boundaries through sport, meeting newly trained young leaders from a variety of sports and watching the confidence of both grow.
An amazing environment to pick up on conversations 3 weeks ago and also start new ones around possibilities for the coming school year and ideas to help the activity partnership. Along with an idea and a possible event to thank the volunteers for their hard work which allows a lot of grassroots sport to happen.
My archery in education project just keeps moving forward.
To quote Northants Sports –
“active children are happy children”
As always a privilege to work with my son who always amazes me.
Proud we were both part of a great day of inclusive events putting such a variety of sports in the hands of so many children.
Hello, be kind please, this is all very new and frankly more than a little scary, I know there’s lots to do to get this website fully sorted, and it’s certainly not my strength!
So, after 5 – 6 years of doing my projects and working at improving all things grassroots either for those unsure how to get into archery or helping those who think their time shooting may be coming to an end, I decided to be brave and give myself and my work it’s own identity. Collaborations are great and sharing ideas is amazing, but regardless of who I am working with I am doing my work.
Recent weeks have made it clear that many people work with me because of my energy and passion for what we are all wanting to achieve and so here I am happy to share that with anyone who wants to join me and see what we can do together.
I have also been asked to reassure that my recent weeks of calm dress code will come to an end and the bright, cheerful, look like I have been dressed by a rainbow carrying unicorn will resume. It would seem what started as a safeguarding idea for my own daughter, which grew to encompass many county juniors, has extended pretty much to most who know me.
So the crazy, caffeine fuelled volunteer who cannot sit still and does not sleep is here forging her path and welcomes anyone who wants to join her along the way.
This will be where I post updates and news and though I may have been a little hidden for the last 10 weeks the work didn’t stop and we started 3 more primary schools and a college with archery and I helped at one of the county’s district schools soft archery competition which was great fun and I am looking forward to attending the county finals event in a couple of weeks where the top four teams from the day will join the others to see who gets the medals!!
Not a high draw!! Flight archery which I enjoy at least as much as my target archery!!
