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Week 48 – wow, busy everywhere ❤️🏹

Helen Sharpe weekly update

When I consider where I was last year, mentally, emotionally and how very close I was to giving up everything from my sport to living it’s amazing to me as I sit here reviewing the first 12 months of Integr8Archery and what I have achieved.

Years of working hard for my sport and the belief in what can be done as long as I choose the right people for each event to get the very best I can. No longer settling and risking a poor set up, rather saying no than getting it wrong. That’s huge in itself being brave enough not to risk my reputation by saying no, it’s a pleasure to not have to some times wince or apologise because I sent the wrong person. One of the most beautiful things I have heard and how often I have heard it – thank you for getting this/these people to deliver for us! The core values of a service user matched with a service provider – makes the event so much smoother and I am blessed that this means the coach to mentor roles work so much more naturally by getting it right first time.

A long week of squeezing in meetings to review and plan, setting and adjusting aims and targets for each group. Closing some as the self sustaining fledge with the knowledge that they can send a message when they need to. It’s not sad as we step back, rather a sense of pride that we have given them the skills to flourish. Reassurance to a couple that had expected to be moved on by now but haven’t – we can still achieve it.

I was brave enough to open my project book from spring 2022, wow – how many of those plans have I achieved! Those I haven’t- why? I am ok with the reasonings – not my losses actually 🤷‍♀️ and I don’t regret that I made plans that someone other than me threw away.

Luckily the relationships I had built to create those opportunities are not lost, in some cases from friendships many, many years old – so I am grateful that open and frank dialogue has allowed some things to be closed and others to remain future possibilities if I am ever brave enough to take giant leaps. Who knows maybe my passport will see me become a frequent flyer 🫣😉

One of the greatest privileges was definitely being allowed to sit at the table and help source new recipient’s for the large donations for the fund, I stood by my belief that it didn’t feel right to accept any of that for Integr8Archery and whilst it would definitely have made my projects fly, I am thrilled to hear from people who have benefited – what may be a loss to grassroots archery has definitely been a gain for others.

So the coming week or 2 will see more meetings take place around the day job and I am grateful that my hoodies can hide a multitude of things 😂😂 as I chase around from A to B to C and so on.

I am also immensely proud of 3 young people who I have been supporting for significant periods of time in my role as safeguarding officer, wellbeing is such an important part of this and to be trusted to be part of a person’s team/network of support is humbling but anyone who knows me also knows how very seriously I take this, safeguarding is one of the most important responsibilities we all have.

So as we swiftly approach 1 year!! Thank you and see you soon ❤️🏹

Week 47 – Children’s Coaching Collaborative, Play Their Way

Helen Sharpe Announcement, Blog with a message, Joining forces for strength, News, weekly update

As you will be aware from the information that I published I signed up to the Children’s Coaching Collaborative last autumn. This year the Child-First Coaching Coffee Catch Ups began. These sessions are for anyone who’s signed up to join together at the sessions as and when they can, to discuss important topics but over a virtual coffee session, the sessions are kept to an hour per session to allow people to fit them into busy schedules.

I find these particularly interesting as it is one of the initiatives that I am involved in that sees people from many sports come together and discuss common issues and share ideas.

The has been a very strong theme throughout – voice, choice and journey. Very much linked with the theme behind any good coach around listening to and coaching the individual.

As a coach this is of huge importance but also in my safeguarding role this is a massive issue. A large amount of my time is taken when voice and choice are removed. Surely something that we should all have taken from the publication of the Whyte report and the subsequent reform 25. Do not sit complacently believing that issues are only in other sports, there are examples of issues across all sports. It is with these in mind that I was interested in the Children’s Coaching Collaborative.

Today the next step is launched – Play Their Way. Please see above my statement that Integr8Archery CIC has signed up to the movement and I would ask you to take the time to consider signing up yourself as a coach but also your organisation and lead those you work with to look at joining too.

This week’s meetings and reviews, which I frequently complete on my projects and with the coaches and groups we deliver to, are about safeguarding and delivering the right service, in the right way to help achieve the goals. This is what the Children’s Coaching Collaborative and other groups that I am part of are aiming to achieve across all levels of all sports.

Midweek catch up ❤️🏹

Helen Sharpe weekly update

So fat this has been a busy week of reviewing projects, predominantly schools but others too. It’s an important part of the process to see how we are getting on with the aims and targets that were originally laid out and how these may have evolved.

As Integr8Archery is essentially one person, me, I am blessed to have a group of coaches who work with me and I carefully select who is appropriate for a group, event or project. I cannot be in all places at all times and I rely on good communication between myself and the coaches and also myself and the representative of any group. These meetings are therefore especially important for me to ensure that we maintain that communication and continue to work together.

There are processes that need to be followed and steps that need to be taken to put on sessions and keep everyone safe, they may not always be obvious or seem unnecessary but they are there for a reason. Meetings are a great way of explaining what is needed and why.

So this weeks meetings have been a chance to celebrate success and discuss room for improvement and ensure we are all still working for the same aims. As ever lots of work comes out of these but, it’s looking like some exciting things ahead for many of the projects.

As I am fast approaching the first year of Integr8Archery I also started collating data I keep to be able to share the achievements, I am glad I did as there were a couple of things this week that again pushed me to consider what and why I am doing this, if I needed a reason, motivation, those stats have definitely helped give me a boost and I am blown away by what has been achieved, I look forward to sharing the information in a few weeks. Keeping stats and figures was important to me from the start as I am doing things a little differently and I get challenged by those who don’t like change and I knew I would benefit from seeing numbers as I am an evidenced based creature.

Anyways I have a session to go to now that I am quite excited about and I will tell you more about it in Tuesday’s blog drop.

Apologies for this being a day late, whilst at work yesterday, as my shift was ending a colleague who was coming on duty took a call regarding a family bereavement and I stayed to do his double shift, I am out of the house this morning but then back for my own rota’d 25 hour shift, as you know mine is not a job that we simply can’t cover.

Take care and enjoy your shooting, catch you on a range soon, Helen

Week 46 – start archery completed … and breathe 🧘

Helen Sharpe Event recap, Numbers and stats, weekly update

Start archery is finished for 2023! Our two days on the 8th May and the 13th May saw 72 and 103 people join us and a total of 129 people across the two events picked up a bow for the first time! That’s great news for our little club and my community interest company.

Thank you to Weavers School for our great partnership, Wellingborough Muslim Community for trusting me and Northamptonshire Sports for helping us get the 4 sessions on for the WMC group. I never take the support of others for granted, and as these figures show, together we can achieve amazing things.

It is also a good time to thank Archery GB who in 2021 gave me a little pot of money (£1000) to see how I could use it for my projects, much of this was used to fund training for workforce, two instructors (£450) and half funding for 2 sessions coaches (£250) The remaining monies (£300) was put toward the cost of my indoor netting and frames to allow sessions to be out on at schools and other venues.

Why is it a suitable time to thank them again? Because those two sessions coaches who do work within my education project this weekend helped with the second start archery session.

A large focus for this week was of course the charity abseil I was doing on Friday at Millers Dale viaduct and I thank everyone who has sponsored me and my cousin, the help we had from the palliative care car that is funded by the hospice was invaluable and these things are the least I can do.

I managed to shoot at the Wellingborough Open Archery Club competition on Sunday. Purely for fun as the sessions to sort my bow out in the week had to be cancelled due to the storms, I was asked if it was really necessary to cancel – erm yes! We don’t shoot in thunder and lightening – and just to prove why, a house along the way from us did get hit and had quite the fire as a result! Thankfully no one was injured.

I managed to catch up with some friends and enjoyed the day at WOAC so that is all good. As expected the score was poor but a badly set up bow was always going to see that happen. Hopefully to be sorted this week, time booked so let’s hope the weather holds off!

in the five years I have been shooting my OCD traits have been very obvious! I shoot in nice number volumes ordinarily 30’s, 60’s etc, so this week’s total of arrows shot for the #greatarrowcount is hurting my eyes with 486 arrows 😱🫣🤷‍♀️ but hey what can you do?

Right, off to do lots of planning for club, groups and sessions and my own shooting.

Take care and look after you.

This week is mental health awareness week so please take a look at the link and see what you might be able to do for yourself or others.

Am I talking or Am I communicating? Can you see the difference? I would suggest you cannot!

Helen Sharpe Blog with a message

This has been something I have been thinking about for some time, it’s due to comments that I here often, have done for years!

Oh ask Helen, she’s not doing anything she’s only talking.
I have introduced the coaches but as you can see Helen is only here to talk!
Are you here to work or to talk?

Some of the very many comments I hear.

So let’s consider, you see me talking but I know that a lot of what I am doing is communicating.

The second of those comments was made at a club who was helping me host a taster event for over 80 out of school educated children, whilst the coaches were showing how to shoot, I was talking to parents, carers and children. Finding out what the individuals wanted, what were their concerns and how I could help answer those. Discussing specific needs around disabilities.

The first of those comments I have heard in a number of places but often when I am volunteering for Archery GB. At the Grand Prix, 2 specific examples – I was talking to someone who had dropped in to see me, but that took 5 minutes, the rest of the time was about why I volunteer and what it involves and how they might take part, how they register. Then how they could bring juniors from their club to watch the finals, how did spectators attend events.

The second example was me talking to an athlete who I have supported through some safeguarding and wellbeing issues and was feeling stressed by the occasion and some triggers. A very important conversation that I am not going to explain to onlookers for obvious reasons.

I can give examples of individuals when I am volunteering where I see archers upset for various reasons and I reach out, I have helped them in the moment and at future events they speak with me about how things have improved or they may be wobbling again and they remember that I am a safe person to reach out to.

Speaking with people at events allows me to help them get what they want from sessions, or to allow me to support those already shooting in whatever capacity they need might be a quick hug for reassurance or it might be a safeguarding issue.

At a recent event, sat chatting with a group whilst coaches were introducing people to archery we talked about some ideas they had for groups and activities they wanted going forward but also the conversation flowed around and we spoke of domestic violence, bereavement and mental health to name a few topics. How sport can empower and help change lives. I have seen this in sessions that I have put on for a group from refuge and a group of foster children through to the education project and disabled people who have asked for help to access sport.

Just Monday I was speaking to a lady who felt she might find help with her mental health and grief following the loss of her dad in December, just 2 weeks before I lost dad – we stood in the middle of the field crying and hugging.

All of the things I do see me chat a little but communicate a lot. Without a doubt the conversations I have are I think, rare on a range and definitely part of who I am, I have been told more than once that I “attract these conversations”. I don’t see that as a bad thing, it is without a doubt in part due to my personal and professional experience and my willingness to be me, to put myself out there and be vulnerable because that’s what some of those conversations do.

Some of these topics are heavy and emotionally draining some make me buzz and the excitement makes me bounce with ideas – something those around me find draining and some try to quiet me.

All that I ask is, if you see me talking, stop and think, ask yourself am I talking or am I communicating?

I can tell you that when they have been draining to hear “she’s only talking” is demoralising. If I have achieved something and someone was taking the time to thank me – to hear it is demotivating and has on more than one occasion made me considering walking off the range and wondering why I bother, because some of these conversations make me vulnerable so to be dismissed because you saw me talking hurts, some days – a lot.

So ask yourself next time do you need to say it? It might seem harmless to you, but it stings! Please do not dismiss what is happening when “Helen is just talking”!

Week 45 – start archery a great example of pulling things together ❤️🏹

Helen Sharpe Event recap, Joining forces for strength, weekly update

This week saw Integr8Archery host its first community event. It was a pleasure to welcome Wellingborough Muslim Community to our range where we reside at the invitation of Weavers Academy. The club – school arrangement is, I believe a new kind of way for a club and school to work together.

I have worked with Northamptonshire Sports looking at how we can include archery and share knowledge across multiple sports in the county to the benefit of clubs and community for several years.

They have sponsored a series of 4 sessions for the group and the 8th May saw the first of these, timed to be part of the Archery GB start archery week and to allow the first session to include the Eid celebrations.

The coaches who have come together for these dates also include one sponsored by the Northamptonshire Sports Couch to Coach funding, Chris is using the funding to increase her skill level from instructor which she has done for a number of years for guides, to become a sessions coach, something that she has been inspired to do after joining the coaching team for the Archery In Education project from 2021. She is part of the delivery team for Weavers Academy after delivering at a number of schools for me.

I would like to thank Suzanne Fossey of Archery GB for joining us on the day and taking a lot of the photos that we now have from the event. As always it’s a pleasure to see you Suzanne 🙂

The day saw 73 people pick up a bow to try the sport and this was despite the weather forecast. The decision was made to delay the Eid celebration until a later session due to the rain but that did not stop the feeling of community, sharing each others company and chatting over food. I think the best way to describe the day was a sense of family, people coming together and sharing the day and when they weren’t shooting there were games of cricket and football to entertain as they took turns to shoot in groups.

Many things were discussed including future events and ideas for different groups and sessions with different purposes, but also conversations were opened around ideas such as self defence but also mental health and bereavement.

I had anticipated a great day but what we got was so very much more. I look forward with the coming 3 sessions but also moving forward with the other things discussed on the day.

Many thanks to Wellingborough Muslim Community for trusting us to introducing them to our sport and to Matthew and Ben from Northamptonshire Sports. Integr8Archery look forward to seeing what comes from our joint relationship.

Can you fix your mental space on a range?

Helen Sharpe Event recap


I have shared my battles with my mental health, the only possible good that can come of my darkest thoughts, is that by sharing my experiences they may help someone else.

I was in a good place, perfect? No, there’s no such thing but lots of good stuff and the other stuff was balanced and I could deal with it because of the good stuff. A bump in the road in July 2021, but on I carried. Then boom November 2021! I carried on in my belief that it was fixable for 6 months. May 2022 and I found myself sat on the shooting line at Kestrels, a place I love, surrounded by friends and a bunch of people from my then club, some who I had convinced to join me, some in their first competition.

What happened that day was massive, I broke down after months of trying to carry on. I cried for 48 arrows! I wanted to leave and go home, I knew that if I did I would never pick up a bow again. I no longer cared and I wanted to leave. However, there were people there who I had convinced to compete for the first time! So I stayed and it was horrific.

In the year since? I sank further in the next few weeks, I was supported by some very special people and tried to carry on. Just a few weeks later I was told I had no place in this sport in any role of any kind and that I should walk away. I almost did.

Some very real conversations and here I am. I have worked hard, harder than I thought I was capable of.

So I needed to test exactly how much I have improved, in my head space. Am I strong enough to carry on in this sport?

In my opinion the very best way to test that was to enter that same competition a year later and see what happened. Issues with my kit meant I was turning up with a bow that wasn’t set up properly and certainly not tuned, none of that matters, if every arrow went in the grass it simply wouldn’t matter because I was not going for the scores!

I knew I had lots of support there and if I needed it I could reach out, and if I had to leave then I would.

My aim? To arrive smiling, maintain that and leave smiling.

Though I woke up a little anxious as I knew that if this didn’t go well it could be a disaster – I was also excited. So I got dressed and away we set, my friend was joining me and we would have fun.

Well, when I was sat on the shooting line I was smiling, I was buzzing!

The shooting wasn’t great – erm – remember the bow wasn’t set up! Who cares, I laughed and I smiled and I enjoyed the space and the people and I just kept shooting, there was not a spell during the day when I wasn’t relaxed or happy! Perfect! There were moments when I laughed and laughed.

At the end of the day my score was rubbish, though despite being a chunk off my PB it was actually a huge improvement on last year!

I can confirm that the fight and the work of the last year has been worth it, I cannot begin to explain how very much better I was on that range in 2023 compared to 2022! I cannot wait to shoot it properly in 2024! Date marked on the calendar already!

Proof that you can work hard and improve. My mental health is something I will work on forever, but absolutely worth the effort 🙂❤️🏹

Week 44 – what do you know about VI sports?

Helen Sharpe Blog with a message, Health, Joining forces for strength, News, Re-published blogs, weekly update

What do you know about sport for the visually impaired? This is something that annoys me and those who know me well have listening to me complain and make a fuss for years! There is simply not enough information or signposting for somethings, for those who might use them, who might consider trying them or for those who might choose to give their time as a volunteer. Two such things that I have enjoyed giving hours to are the transplant games and visually impaired sport. Today I am going to give some information about British Blind Sport as it’s a subject that has come up half a dozen times in the last month or so.

One of the things that I do as a volunteer is spotting for visually impaired archers. I have worked on a semi regular basis with two. It came about as a result of covid, then lockdown rules allowed disabled athletes to practise and someone I knew needed help to find a range that would allow her to shoot (many refused to allow their disability members to access their ranges, a conversation for another day) and also a means of getting there and that role of spotter. Having agented numerous times for disability athletes I said I would give it a go, however I was more than a little anxious as this is more than just collecting arrows for someone and my ability to describe what was happening was going to be key to how useful I was! Turns out all those years doing surveillance in the day job gave me a useful skill on the archery range! 

https://www.aim4sport.com/2021/03/26/why-support-matters-the-thoughts-of-a-visually-impaired-archer-by-deb-wright/

I gained a friend too and have been able to proudly watch Deb maintain her success on the archery field in the time since.

http://www.ncasarchery.org.uk/http:/www.ncasarchery.org.uk/achievements-deb-wright/

In recent months I have put a couple of coaches in touch with British Blind Sports in regards to archers who needed support. Whilst physical disabilities and adaptations around these are focused on and access is improving significantly, help for visually impaired is still not obvious. 

British Blind Sport offer amazing support to people to access a multitude of sports

Sports

and they have an activity finder to help you locate something to go along to. 

My friend Clive has used their services and now shoots for GB in a sport that he loves as much as I do

I lost my sight after an unprovoked attack – now I’m a blind archer

The sport that I love, where I found my people, that allows me to be me, is the most adaptive sport that I know. I have yet to come across anyone who cannot shoot, it’s one of the very reasons that I love it so very much and why I am so very passionate about it and what it has to offer. 

There are a couple of significant events this year that need volunteers and you may be looking for somewhere to give your time so I would urge you to consider looking here:

Volunteering

What have I been doing this week? Mostly lots of planning and attending a couple of multi sports meetings. Lots happening over the coming weeks as the summer moves towards us! 

Not so many arrows shot myself, as I would like still but getting there and this coming weekend will see me shoot my first outdoors competition of the season at one of my favourite places and will have the chance to see lots of friends. My only aim, considering the lack of shooting that I have had, is to enjoy the day, see how it all goes and enjoy the company – and not to cry for dozens of arrows like I did last year! 

Catch you all soon, have a great week and enjoy this run of bank holiday weekends ❤️🏹

Thank you goes a long way, certainly better than being ignored 🥰🏹

Helen Sharpe weekly update

These cards make me smile, volunteering is a huge part of my life, I give so many hours to it, the big multi day events always have a point where I wonder what I am doing, long days and away from home, my health gets pushed by what I am doing, but the people I am with and what we are achieving make it worth it and I stay to the end. Within a couple of days I am ready to be off back to the next one 😂 and look proudly back on what we did. These little cards arrive a couple of weeks after, they carry messages from Katy and Jon and thy mean a lot. Volunteers don’t ask for much but they do ask to be treated with respect and kindness and when everything is packed away Thankyou is priceless.

Counter balance to that is when you don’t need anything or you have become self sustaining and want to step away, just a simple, thank you for helping arrange that and we are now sorted. So very much better than just not replying to messages, saves me time too. Integr8Archery has a purpose, to put bows in hands, to give everyone access to our sport, and for those who want it, to help you set up your group, become sustainable and where it’s wanted to provide coaches for long term mentoring. I also help find and apply for grants for those who want help with funding. Thank you, we’re sorted means I get to draw a line and not wonder what you are needing, it also means that I am still here if you ever find you have a question or need help, there is a very small list of people who I will not work with again, and all of those are simply due to the way I was treated, three I have never actually worked with! Go figure! But I love the feeling that you are on your feet and sorted, so please don’t just ignore my messages because you are not sure how to say, thanks, we’re ok now.

Some visits arranged for the next two days to help people look at what is the most appropriate delivery for their group and setting and these early stages are always exciting as people from outside the sport often see limits where there are none.

Next weekend is going to be incredibly busy, my first competition of the outdoor season and our first session with Wellingborough Muslim Community which is including a celebration for them and a great way to deliver our first start archery event.

I am visiting home this weekend with lots of things to catch up on and today me, mum and my aunt are off to one of our favourite spots to catch up in a little restaurant we love for their amazing fish and chips. So I hope you also enjoy your weekend and take advantage of the fact that for many it’s a little longer than usual. Let me know how you get on, I love hearing how you are all doing.

Take care and may your arrows fly strong ❤️🏹

Week 43 – events, #greatarrowcount, county records!

Helen Sharpe weekly update

Another busy week, finalising details for the start archery event which I am now looking forward to, and I love the idea that is going to also include a celebration for the community group who will be attending.

We have had to change the date for the disability archers getting together and catching up with Nick Wilson, but there is news to come about how we are turning this one off get together into something more frequent which will be jointly hosted with Towcester Archers. Sorry to those who can no longer join us on the initial date but if the new date means you can now come please do get in touch with me.

I dropped into a session with Weavers School which Chris and Jack run, great to catch up and see for myself what’s happening there.

Apologies to Maggie who I was joining to help with the Leicestershire introductions to soft archery with primary schools, I was unwell but Maggie did a great job for the county with the almost 20 schools she presented to.

Two weeks in for me, for the great arrow count as I couldn’t start until I got home from volunteering for the European Grand Prix – 1020 arrows is half my preferred volume for 2 weeks but I am settling into my new job and the shifts plus lots of training so I am not really disappointed with those numbers! Looking forward to the coming weeks as I settle properly and get my routine back, let’s be honest the last 2 – 3 years had seen my routine crushed, so things are looking good!

Finally got my act together with the information that had mangled in sending to the county records officer who has been very patient whilst he waited for me to fix it, but my flight county records are now official – so that’s a confirmed target for 2023 – new distances to replace those certificates! 😂❤️🏹

Without a doubt I love my sport, I have been forever grateful that the county team welcomed me in the summer of 2018 as a novice and stuck by me when I struggled. My flight family though, welcomed me and kept me shooting when I would have walked away and everything I achieve there is down to the truly most welcoming environment I believe you will find in archery. Seriously, can you imagine walking onto the field for the British Target Champs or the range of the indoor championships and saying can you teach me I have never shot? 😱🫣😂 In 2021 that’s exactly what flight archers offered, bring your kit to the national championships and we will teach you on the line, 4 national gold medals that first year and then the following year 2 national golds, a silver and a bronze. My masters in flight and my raptor badge! Let’s see what my third season – 2023 brings😎

Right, I have emails to send and soup to eat before work, take care and enjoy the sunshine even if it’s not quite warm yet 😉❤️🏹