weekly update

Disability and inclusion are massively important and huge drivers for me. Though it never fails to astound me at the lack of support and understanding shown by some.

When we came to this sport as a family we were worried about how epilepsy would be viewed and we were surprised at the incredibly warm welcome we received. The support he and we, as a family received helped Jack settle quickly and thrive in the sport he loved.

We did see examples in other places of archers not receiving the support that we had and it was important to me that this was clearly an area that needed work. It was the main reason myself and Jack became ambassadors for AGB, explaining that inclusion and diversity were my reasoning and the areas that I wanted to focus on. Ensuring that those who want to try our sport receive a warm welcome with necessary adaptations but also supporting those within it who need to adapt and change to stay.

The key part to anyone in this sport is being treated as an individual, no two people are the same, and we need to be treated accordingly.

I see amazing examples of exactly this, and I try to ensure that coaches who I work with do exactly this. It is why I signed up to the Children’s Coaching Collaborative last year and signed my pledge at the launch of the Play their Way campaign.

At the weekend I was thanked for how I spent time patiently introducing a young person to archery, he was non verbal and instructions needed to be adapted, we had a great time and we shot lots of arrows. Communication should be adapted for everyone, non verbal does not mean lack of understanding or that the person can’t communicate in other ways.

I also spent time in another setting with a wheelchair archer who has some issues with confidence following comments made by other archers suggesting that she has been shooting inaccurately and that she should have known this, unsure how if no one ever explained it? But that the wording and implications were suggestive that being physically disabled is linked to issues with understanding instructions.

Why people cannot be careful with words is something I have never understood and that so many do not understand the damage words and tone can do is beyond me! I also don’t understand why a person who says something damaging never realises and therefore take responsibility, apologise and fix the matter.

Everyone deserves the right to be treated with respect and as an individual, disability brings a variety of challenges that can create boundaries and challenges without the additional burden of having to worry about how coaches or other people may speak to them.

Be kind, it doesn’t take a lot of effort surely.

My memory feed shows that it was a year ago that I explained things needed to be fluid for a while as I needed to put family first. I was going to be spending frequent time with my dad and family as we prepared to loose him. I didn’t have a time frame but I would warn you when I would be unavailable and keep you informed so you knew when I would be slower at answering. You were all amazing and that has continued ever since. I have long term family commitments and I keep you informed – thank you for always paying attention.

To allow me to do everything I need to the day job allowed me to condense my every other weekend into 1 in every 4, this works fantastically for my family commitments but also has great benefits for me and the young people I work with. It means for 56 hours over 3 days I am pretty much not available for you all.

You have blown me away, you don’t make demands, the messages I get over those weekends are checking on me or letting me know about your achievements or silly photos from ranges – I don’t take it for granted that for the most part people know Integr8Archery CIC is me, no one else here to run it and you understand that the 25-30 hours a week I give are as a volunteer who has a demanding full time job, family commitments, my own archery and I do some occasional volunteering in other places.

So thank you, it’s not much but it’s all I can say. I am grateful for all of you and the support you give me.

The last few weeks have been tough, there’s so much going on for me that though recently tempted to explain in summary, I won’t at this time and thank you Ben for being my sounding board. Dealing with a significant safeguarding issue for over 3 years can be draining and hard at times not to scream publicly at the world but maybe we’ll get there eventually.

Issues at the club are close to resolved with repairs being completed so hopefully things will be back on track soon, I never understand what people gain from deliberately damaging or destroying things that belong to others and this is no different to any other example.

Event planning moving forward for lots of things in 2024 so I am going to be busy for a while 😜

Have a good week and see you soon, looking forward to shooting some arrows this weekend and happy to see some competitions starting to fill my indoor calendar ❤️🏹

Sorry it’s late, I started work at 14:30 Monday and finished at 15:30 Tuesday, nothing unusual there but then I headed straight north to pick up mum and come home ready to take her to the airport Wednesday morning. We ended up spending most of Wednesday sat on the m25! But all worth it as I have had the news that mum has arrived safely in Australia to visit with my sister.

My question today is do you look after yourself as well as you look after your archery kit? I know I don’t and I suspect few people actually do. We appreciate that out kit needs care to ensure it performs to it’s fullest potential yet seem to expect ourselves to just get on, we ignore symptoms of physical illness and mental health issues, so I just wanted to ask you all to take a look at yourself and be truthful do you need to do something to get yourself in the best shape? If you do please take the time.

I think of dad daily but this last week or so he’s been especially in my mind as I think of how a year ago we were all preparing to gather and spend as much time as we could together as we knew it was going to be limited in time before we had to say goodbye, he knew he wasn’t well, he kept going back, he repeatedly stated he believed it was cancer (not an unusual worry with our family history), but the answers they gave were not unreasonable. However it took months to get the correct diagnosis and when he did it was too late. He tried to be here as long as he could but we only had 6 and a half months following his diagnosis.

We don’t hold grudges or blame anyone, but we do desperately want everyone to think about if they are well and do they need to check. I have mentioned it before and every now and then will remind you, if you aren’t well – you need to be. Dad’s story was published by the hospice and I shall share it again.

He loved to chat and hear how things were going with my “little business” and was always proud of the time I give to others, he is one of the reasons you get my blog updates, I can no longer share with him but I can continue to share with everyone else.

Look after yourself the same as you look after your kit! And for those who don’t look after their kit – sort that too 😜

What has happened this last week, planning mostly, a couple of webinars and some meetings. Exciting new collaborations on the horizon and some new groups looking to start work with me. Three coaches who have approached me to ask to do some work where I might need them and some volunteers who have asked if they can give time to Integr8Archery. Excellent 👌

See you all on a range sometime soon ❤️🏹

Week 65 meant a year and 3 months and I had so many things I wanted to say and I wanted to share with someone I couldn’t. 10 months now without my weekly chat with dad about Integr8Archery, plans, hopes, updates etc. He was always awesome in listening and talking and enjoying updates.

Sunday was awesome for seeing my shirts on the shooting line, and county championship medals worn with them ❤️🏹

Also a great time to catch up with friends, some archers, some coaches, some friends made through the sport, lots and lots of hugs. As a child I was taught the importance and power of a hug and many people know I scatter them around. Lots of supportive hugs that are a celebration of what we have achieved in various battles and also of acknowledging the battles still to come.

People have asked again what the purpose is of Integr8Archery CIC, it is to help bring our amazing sport to people yet to try it, to support those in it who want to stay but are struggling in various ways, to ensure and promote the inclusion, diversity and equality whilst showing how incredibly adaptive it is, enabling access for everyone. This is why the club was set up, a separate entity but enabling a safe environment for those who need it. For some this is a temporary step, for others a supportive community to be a part of, shirts, hats – ways of identifying others who share that same understanding of giving and using the supportive community.

I am proud of everything that I achieved from starting my volunteer journey in this sport but especially so of what I have achieved since creating Integr8Archery.

So today that’s my message, thank you to the many people, some who I have named before and some often but especially the huge hugs on Sunday from Anita and Lisa and the coffee reload from Lisa was especially great 😊

Tomorrow there will be another blog drop, three in three days, yesterday’s was my update, today is my thank you for the community we have created under the brand I made and tomorrow a project update, to update what is happening, give some tastes of things to come but also to answer some of the questions I am being asked, particularly around the releases I made in spring 2022.

All 3 important updates and I think each deserving of separate attention.