You must know by now I love volunteering! I am half way through my 9 days at Lilleshall volunteering at the European Grand Prix. I love being here with these people, we work together often and know each other well. It’s like family, sure we might annoy each other some times and when we are tired – be a little snappy, but we take care of each other and achieve amazing things.
Interested in giving it a go? Put your name down and try it, you don’t have to do all the days but you can do a bit and see if you enjoy it.
What do I gain?
As a competitive archer I know that I can only shoot if volunteers work on the tournament, this is my chance to give back. I have a circle of friends I might otherwise not have met, and they are amazing, they have been taking great care of me this week knowing I am unwell. As someone who can struggle to leave the house when my mental health isn’t good this gives me purpose and this range, out of all of them, is one of my safest places. Also the satisfaction that we put on an amazing event.
It’s been a busy week and I am excited about several events in the coming week which I will explain more about soon.
Take care and have a good Easter, enjoy your shooting.
Yesterday was a perfect example of why I love doing what I do. A meeting with Northamptonshire Sport and Wellingborough Muslim Community to finalise the plans for our start archery event on the 8th May and the 3 planned sessions afterwards for those who want to participate after the event.
The next cuppa and catch up with the Children’s Coaching Collaborative and it was another great conversation around the voice, choice, journey. Sharing thoughts and ideas with like minded individuals is always motivating and multi sport environments is a great reminder that we are all trying to reach the same goals.
If you recall the blog I did at 26 weeks as my first 6 months round up you will remember I provided a bunch of stats and figures. If you didn’t see it if you type 26 weeks in the search box it’ll bring it up for you.
So what has the last 13 weeks held? Obviously on a personal scale the loss of my dad overshadows absolutely everything else and I miss our weekly chats about what I am doing with Integr8Archery.
On a personal archery note I had cancelled my indoor season to allow family to be priority but I have managed to pick up my bow and shoot and with some practise and scored rounds I have managed to achieve a C classification. My 5th indoor season and something that I have never before managed!! I am really happy with that – let’s be honest if we round up the 5 years I have been shooting – struggling with pain, having to become a seated archer, covid and whatever we describe the last 17 months as, the battle to shoot has been tough but at the moment my shooting seems to be settled, consistent and at the moment, the strongest it’s ever been.
What about Integr8Archery?
Well the club has its school partnership to allow shooting on weekends and planning is happening for the competitions we will host and a number of community activities.
It was fantastic to see the DISC group have their first archery session several years since the bows were last picked up, this was also the first session delivered by 2 coaches coming on board to help Integr8Archery achieve it’s goals.
Lots of meetings, several new groups looking to see what we might be able to accomplish together.
The education project has seen an additional 63 children pick up a bow and try our sport and today the children who are part of the archery club at Wrenn school will be receiving the first certificates awarded from the Integr8Archery progression scheme that we have created. Incredibly proud of what they have achieved.
Thank you for all of your support so far, see you on a range soon.
This week has predominantly focused on communication, catching up on ideas put on hold for various reasons, looking what is ready to start, making new links and reviewing existing groups and sessions.
Today was a local community event aimed at getting to know each other hosted by the local library, here I have picked up lots of information to help me signpost potential service users, as some times when chatting to people I know they may benefit from other things but I am not always sure what is available, today I learned lots of local links for exactly this purpose. Whilst this was the aim that saw me attend the event I have also come away with a number of community groups who think that their service users might benefit from the access to archery that I might be able to help provide too. Exactly the drive behind setting up my “little business” and the reason why it is a community interest company and not for profit. So, over coming weeks and months I shall hopefully be able to report back on some of the ideas and links that have come from today.
I loved hearing the news on Sunday that the DISC group had a fantastic time at their first archery session and it’s great to know the work and effort put into re-starting this as one of the activities after several years away is going to be a success. Thank you to Nick and Jackie who though established coaches are new to the Integr8Archery team and their first session for us as been a resounding success 🥳❤️🏹
Thank you also to Jack who has joined the group at Weavers to help there. First week for him seems to have gone well and he and Chris are going to be great I am sure.
Lots planned for me this coming week before I head off to Lilleshall for volunteering at the Grand Prix, outdoors season is approaching fast.
If you know me, the projects or just keep looking here for what’s happening you will know that everything I have done for the last 4 years in regards to long term projects is about them becoming sustainable for each group that I work with. The base of this plan is that they have people trained and take over the running of the group and coaches who work with them on behalf of Integr8Archery to mentor them.
Last summer I was approached by Northamptonshire Carers to discuss plans for the DISC group which meets every other week and provides access to their users to a variety of sports. Some years previously they had archery in their cycle but it had stopped.
Upon visiting we found a treasure of kit, they were aware that they had soft kit for arrows Archery but we found so much more, meaning that with just some support and training they could easily be up and running for the full range that our sport can offer.
This week we have finally gotten everything in place and 19th March will see the first of their monthly archery sessions take place! This is so exciting. It is here I must say a number of thank you’s – The Worshipful Company of Fletchers who have generously provided funding for two volunteers to undertake instructor training next month, Long Buckby Archery Club for the donation of the kit for pointy archery, when we found it, it was all very carefully labelled and the club have donated this to the group for their ongoing use. Also to Nick and Jackie from Towcester Archery Club for joining the group of coaches who work with Integr8Archery to go out there into the community and provide access to our sport and will be giving their time to support the DISC group.
Wednesday saw another great multi sport meeting hosted by Graeme at Northamptonshire Sport, always great to look at how we can help each other and achieve our shared aims, more to come about new things I will be doing from that meeting later.
Couple of meetings around our start archery event and some reviewing plans for schools already working with us.
Also design visuals for the medals we will be using for the competitions that we are planning and as Duncan and I have just about sorted our progression scheme, the badges have been designed for this along with a new flight workshop badge after the previous supplier let me down.
Thank you so very much to Duncan for all of the work he has put in on the Integr8Archery progression scheme, this scheme will see individuals work to the level that will then allow them to partake in the AGB progression scheme and something that I have been trying to arrange for over 2 years but have run into difficulties along the way, so thank you Duncan for always listening to my thoughts, also for creating the certificates and now designing the membership card for the Integr8Archery school club members.
I never take for granted any of the work that anyone does with me, wether voluntary or if they are paid by one of the groups.
I wanted the clean simplicity – these will look amazing in person with the shine of the metal.As soon as I get these I will hand out the ones already earned, including the long awaited flight workshop participants
So I am technically unemployed for a few days as I await the new job to be sorted, I could sit and relax but we all know that ends badly, we are after all approaching the 3rd anniversary of impaling myself on a tree for those who forget I don’t just sit and chill! 😱🫣
So what have I done:
Sensory football webchat and discussions around conversation and instructions for complex needs with SENSE.
meeting with AGB.
catch up and planning with DISC for Northamptonshire Carers and everything back on track, including two new coaches on board with Integr8Archery to support our community groups and aims for sustainable archery – exciting on several points.
First face to face Integr8Archery club committee as both August and October were online.
on top of this there have been 5 other meetings around existing projects, coaches and new instructors and coaches.
meeting with sport4fitness to finalise plans for their CIC and the groups that we will introduce archery to, including re-starting the out of school educated groups and the Send4dads group.
I have had lots of fun this weekend, shooting three times 😱😂🫣 maybe I will soon be back to my 800 – 1000 arrows a week after all! 4 ranges, countless friends, county squad mates – essentially my archery family. Smiles, hugs, chatting, a couple of tearful moments but mostly just back in my safe places with people who I am safe to be around, never to be underestimated and very definitely proof that the fight to stay with my sport was worth it. Days where I most definitely thought I was beaten since November 21 but this week was proof it’s worth fighting for.
I am putting in an order to lionhart in the next week or so and for anyone who wants one I only have 5 Integr8Archery big bobble hats left from the initial production batch. Let me know if you want anything.
I shall be out and about this next week and hope to catch up with more people whilst getting ready to announce some events that we will be hosting, so keep your eyes open. Stay safe ❤️🏹
Integr8Archery CIC and Sport4fitness CIC – collaboration for the community
So lots of meetings and a couple of webinars so far this week, definitely highlights such as chatting through plans with AGB, an adaptive multi sports webinar and looking at complex communication strategies and getting the DISC sessions back on track with Northamptonshire Carers.
Plans in place for 8th May which I will give more details about next week, but very exciting after a year of work to get the first group organised and planned.
My archery? We know I work hard with my pain to shoot, sitting was not an easy change and last year a number of things collided to see me almost walk away from the sport as a whole.
I last shot properly on New Year’s Eve eve! Arranged some shooting time at a couple of places yesterday and came away with a PB for a Portsmouth and those few extra points moved it from a D classification score to a C – which I have never had for a Portsmouth!
So today? I have booked myself in for a scored round – Worcester and I have created myself a new plan.
My focus this year enjoying those 8 days of archery at Dunster and my flight season. Had a bit of a wobble when I looked at the new classification tables having set myself a target but looking closely I think I may have set myself something out of reach so, let’s see what happens?
I was asked about how Integr8Archery has people around the country?
Two things:
schools or community groups where the person leading the sessions work with me and I support them in their aims – like me, sustainable long term archery in places there has been no access to the sport, a lot are schools but not all.
archers who I have supported through various things, mostly change but who thought maybe archery was something they needed to leave behind or loose. Sure I support them, but they also support me – Integr8Archery is a support network to keep us all doing the thing we love.
So with that in mind, thank you to everyone who has kept me going when I have truly seen no alternative to walking away. Have a great weekend and as always may your arrows fly strong ❤️🏹
So many meetings in the last week! In person, online and by phone. Amazing things coming together though so definitely worth it all and the juggling act to fit it all in.
A year after first discussing accessibility to sport for the local Muslim community with Northamptonshire Sport, we have finally got dates in the calendar for the first sessions, so pleased we have made the efforts to keep communication open and cannot wait to see what we all achieve together – collaboration is amazing and makes us stronger by working together.
The first meeting of the Children’s Coaching Collaborative was fantastic, so many people across multiple sports coming together for the same aims – that “children first” is the important element of what we do when working with juniors and must remain the focus of everything we do. The Voice, Choice, Journey campaign is going to be a great launch platform and if you haven’t already taken a look at the collaborative I would very much recommend you join up and get involved.
This led me really quite well into some amazing discussions at the regions/home nations/Archery GB 2 day get together with some great topics and ways we can move things forward around a number of things, especially Safeguarding which is my most important focus as many of you know, and again I am looking forward to the future meetings to see what we can all accomplish by working together across all of the topics.
We are Undefeatable was a great conversation across multiple sports and platforms that encourage activity and again a new campaign launching soon that I will be pleased to support.
Incredibly proud of some of the friends of Integr8Archery this week with news of many things from achievements to
pushing their own boundaries but I know most are making their own announcements so I will not be stealing their thunder – but I think I have messaged or spoken to most 🥳👏🏻 well done to you all.
Thanks to a few days between changing day jobs I have managed to book a heap of things in the next few days too so as I slide towards 9 months I am so proud of everything that is coming together.
See you all soon, and yes I actually have plans to shoot my own bow this week 😱😉❤️🏹 and the first in person get together for the Integr8Archery Club committee who have been getting on great virtually so hopefully we will do face to face 🙃
Happy pancake day! How do you prefer them – sweet or savoury – I enjoy both and have no issue with having both in one sitting? Hence the weight I need to loose 🫣😂
Lots of planning and catch up in this last week means lots of meetings this coming week, excited to hear some of what will be discussed. Today I have the first of two meetings with coaches who work on my projects and I shall be feeding them pancakes 🥞 they may just be distracted enough to agree to my ideas whilst eating 😉
So I shall need to think about what to feed those that I shall be meeting later in the week.
I said this may contain a trigger warning.
About 10 days ago I was asked to consider talking/writing about my lived experiences with mental health and suicide. I have agreed and have been putting lots of thoughts down on paper, some things I can’t discuss, some I won’t – but that still leaves plenty to share. Why? Only by talking can we continue to work to remove stigma and to make it more freely acceptable to talk about issues that we are facing and this might help others when faced with their own darkest thoughts to reach out to someone.
As I have considered what I should include, I kept coming back to how we never know what someone is going through and often those of us are in a dark place are hiding it for various reasons but mainly to protect ourselves or to protect others.
So – take a look at those two images at the top of the page. Taken about 8 months apart – Both versions of me were facing huge challenges but sharing very little.
The first? – I was sharing information and excited about lots of projects and plans but that version of me felt she had a place, a purpose and some worth. She felt loved and cared for and safe. She felt she mattered and that people could see her.
The second? – I had been to the hospital a couple of days earlier, finding myself in a place where the only answer was to save everyone from having to deal with me by simply no longer being here. I didn’t discuss it with anyone but I had it all planned, a small handful of people were aware of some of the challenges that I was facing – most were the same challenges in both photographs, but my worth, value, feeling of being safe had been removed – dramatically so. I certainly no longer felt I added anything other than burden to anyone’s life. Certainly didn’t feel loved. I will be forever grateful that on that day some sent a message that reached in, they didn’t know, but somehow the universe did.
Both show me laughing, I learned many years ago to hide, and I do! Daily! An incredibly small number of people have enough information now to be able to offer me support, 2 outside the medical profession know everything. I shall continue to hide, but that request to consider sharing my experiences feels important and as I sit writing everything down and looking at what I can’t or won’t share, I do also need to think about who my sharing will impact, namely my children.
But we all see those memes and messages about be careful you never know what a person is going through. Those two photos I think are an excellent example – 8 months apart, both laughing but very very different and both hiding so very much.
So one day at a time and I move forward. Much love to you all and if you are struggling – reach out to someone – I promise you are loved and valued more than you will allow yourself to believe ❤️
If you have been triggered by anything here please visit Mind to find help.
If you have followed any of what I have done in the last 2 years you will be very aware of the archery in education project.
Having already worked in schools in small ways the approach by Northamptonshire Sport in May 2021 really allowed me to focus on what was achievable with Archery in schools and we now have archery in curriculum, elective sessions, after school and school clubs depending upon which school you visit. Some have multiple sessions from the list.
However, 1 school in particular, has shared our goals for how we would like to work together and with the community benefiting from the partnership.
Meetings and ideas and discussions around what we can achieve mean that this week we have agreed the partnership between Integr8Archery and Weavers school in Wellingborough.
Weavers have elective sessions whilst we await instructors and session coach training and we can look at the curriculum sessions. The Weavers/Integr8Archery school club will be fully completed in the next few weeks and Integr8Archery Club, which includes the school club, will be shooting weekly at Weavers on Saturdays and Sundays.
There will also be:
A one day event
A two day event
both indoor and outdoors with dates to fit with the county and AGB planned events. We look forward to announcing details of these 6 days of competitions soon and to jointly hosting archers at our competition events. We will be starting with the indoor season 23/24.
These events will be to raise funds for the school archery and also the projects for Integr8Archery which is a not for profit community interest company.
We have been approached by a number of people to provide beginners courses and more community groups who want sessions for various things. We now have a place to host these, some will be free and some will have charges which again will fund the school archery and the projects of Integr8Archery.
We are incredibly proud to see what we can achieve by working together as a school, club and community interest company to achieve our goals for the local community, not least our belief that by offering young people alternative ways to spend their time and provide access to sport we might improve or change lives and hopefully help prevent even 1 person making the choice that sees young people find themselves in a situation that they feel impossible to leave, and we know that unfortunately in current times this situation is leading to increased street violence which is more frequently in the news.
So, we have lots of things planned and more announcements around this partnership in coming weeks but we are very excited about how we may fulfil our goals together.
On a personal level I would like to thank in particular Magnus and Scott at Weavers and Chris and Ben at Integr8Archery Club. There are others who have helped by listening to me at all hours too and my dad was thrilled as we sat on New Years Eve and I discussed how close we were to finalising our plans. I am grateful to have people who believe in me.
We all know that archery is great for mental health. My family have pulled together in recent weeks as we approached the day of dad’s funeral but loosing dad on the 3/1/23 was the second huge blow we had faced in a few short weeks as we had lost my uncle, Philip Hinchley on 14/11/22. These two amazing men could not be better role models, their belief in family and friends but also as examples of spending many hours freely for the benefit of others. Dad did this through the Buffs and helped raise money for charity, Uncle Philip was heavily involved in the Woodstock Minor Soccer Association. Their dedicated belief that a person can use their time to make a difference has definitely influenced my belief in the same. I am some times asked why I volunteer so many hours of my time for others, mostly now through sport but in other ways too. Well, because they have both shown me what can be achieved by someone with determination.
Grief has brought so many of us together from 3 countries and on Saturday some of us were kindly hosted by Wellingborough Open Archery Club to shoot together and in some cases have their first taste of our sport. Thank you to those who coached but also the members who took the time to chat and share their love of archery with my family. A warm welcome was extended to us.
Again it’s been another week of meetings and planning and online catch ups and the coaches have been sharing what’s happening in the various groups. Exciting to get a message from a coach on Monday to tell me that another 50 children have been taught to safely shoot in their PE lessons – curriculum is such a huge step in the schools who have welcomed Integr8Archery and the archery in education project in to their school.
Whatever you are doing this week, enjoy it and stay safe, but stay in touch too ❤️🏹
