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 😉❤️🏹

Lots happening this week – busy, busy, busy

Helen Sharpe weekly update

Lots happening in all areas of my life as I try and get myself ready to shoot on the 7th May and starting my new day job. I call it the day job but it’s shifts so not necessarily in the day 😂 and whilst it’s set to use my years of experience in different ways and be both challenging and rewarding, it’s a great environment and I am enjoying the team and the children.

Gearing up for the events that we have planned, the disability get together to meet with the Disabled Adventurer – or Nick as I know him. This is becoming so much more based on the emails and messages that I have received and I am looking forward to speaking with the archers on the day to discuss my longer term ideas and plans.

The start archery event for Wellingborough Muslim Community that is also a wider plan, 4 sessions planned and incredibly grateful to Northants Sport for sponsoring the days.

On top of this our existing schools and the new ones looking to join with soft, pointy or both types of archery.

Loving the news that some of the instructors candidates from the course that I had to cancel have already gotten themselves new courses and that some have decided, after we have discussed it, that the sessions coach course will actually be a better option.

Take care and see you on the range soon ❤️🏹

Week 42 – mental health, safe headspace and arrow counting

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

It is incredibly rare that I ask for anything for myself, particularly in regards to my health – this, above, I tried to do at the weekend!

It’s something that my counsellor and my friends have been trying to get me to work on for a long time. The last few months I have been trying, it’s new to me and a work in progress. Whilst volunteering at the Grand Prix it was something that was discussed with me at length and I worked hard on it, the Wednesday and Thursday actually making decisions to put me first, guess what? The world continued to turn and my family of blue and green shirts not only accepted and welcomed my decisions but encouraged them! I may have taken all of us by surprise! 😱😂

Fast forward to 15th April, I posted my blog, and I asked for 36ish hours for me, I needed to deal with lots of things and they were affecting my mental health, I wanted to get everything in order. Projects, communications, lots of things. Despite my request still people contacted me with questions, queries, none of these could wait that 36 hours, I pointed out to each of those people that I wanted to be left until Sunday evening. Did it stop them! No! So I made some decisions and now people are disappointed 🤷‍♀️ you pushed me, you didn’t let me have that short time I was brave enough to ask for. Apparently for some I didn’t answer questions they didn’t ask 🤷‍♀️ why in this sport is it so often expected that we can mind read?

What I am especially curious of is, if I asked for the weekend because I had a migraine, a stomach bug, an injury, would I have been granted that 36 hours? Is it just mental health that doesn’t get respected? Have a think, you don’t have to answer me, but please do be honest with yourself!

What it did do was confirm work that I have been doing and several events and projects I am working on are most definitely needed as I had already believed.

So now we have people disappointed because I cancelled things, and angry people who have now had things cancelled who were not actually the people pushing me and being disrespectful of my request! So the people who pushed are ok, and I will deal with yet more annoyed folks 🤔

Integr8Archery CIC is mine, a one man band, no one else makes the decisions and no one else chooses what I do, and no one else steps in when I am overwhelmed. I am working on my projects, work that was always mine, my goals, my aims and new ideas. Not for anyone else, for me. There are also a number of other things I have that I may restart, they are mine too. Don’t make the mistake that because people have collaborated in the past dictates what I am doing now, because that would also be disrespectful.

However, what did go well, that I knew would give me the boost when I was thinking of quitting, was my visit to DISC to deliver soft archery, they are such a welcoming and enthusiastic group and a pleasure to spend time with.

Followed by my trip just over the road to shoot with Towcester Archers, some projects discussed and ideas bounced and arrows flung. Last year it was incredibly important to me to create safe spaces for my mind, where, when I am overwhelmed, anxious and scared, I can go to with my bow.

So thank you and much love to Archers of Raunds, Long Buckby archery club, Towcester Archers, Banbury Cross, Kestrels and Bowmen of Glen. By far the most important thing is the gift they give me of space where I am mentally safe to pick up my bow. 

When I started shooting in 2018 I spent hours on the range, practise and competing. From 2018 to 2021 I shot between 800 – 1000 arrows a week. Last year this dropped dramatically – we know why. So I started planning my 2023 outdoor season and how to get that motivation back, perfectly timed as Archery GB advertised for the #greatarrowcount project. I received notification of my involvement in the project which was to start on 1st April. Those first 10 days were impacted by my being at the European Grand Prix but my first week total sees me having shot 570 arrows, not where I want to be but getting back on track for sure.

A bit of a moan, and a request to remember to say thank you!

Helen Sharpe Announcement, Blog with a message

I believe that sport can change lives. I believe in my sport especially so, archery is so very inclusive. 6 years ago I decided I could make a difference and I strive for that, putting bows into the hands of people who don’t think they can access archery, for a variety of reasons.

I work hard to meet this goal, to bring archery to those who want it, for an hour, a year, a life time.

I am also very clear that everything I do is voluntary. I don’t get paid for any of what I do, never have, and Integr8Archery CIC is set up to prevent this, non profit – remember?

So I have a day job, to pay the bills, it’s a demanding one at that.

I give between 18-30 hours a week to Integr8Archery and I do this by giving up my own time.

I have worked with the public since I was old enough to work weekends as a teenager. I know that some say thank you, some complain, some are reasonable and some less so. I have volunteered since I was 16 and I know what giving my time can help others achieve – thank goodness or maybe I would have walked away!

This week I have come incredibly close to cancelling something for the first time due to the attitude of the person who I am helping host an event. Still might really.

It doesn’t matter if you are paying or not, if you set out the terms of what you want, you can of course make changes, this involves communicating. Just constantly demanding and changing and putting more and more on me! Nope not ok! In this case the event has costs, costs that a third party are picking up, don’t think that means I won’t pull out. I have no problem with telling the third party that I will not be billing them because I am cancelling the event!

So ask yourself this? When you ask someone for a service, do you flit around in your head! Do you change your mind? Maybe you didn’t set out what you wanted clearly and are now trying to get what you want without admitting that you missed something. Or are you becoming aware that maybe you could have asked for more but didn’t and now want more because you realise it can be achieved!

Whatever it is, ask! Speak kindly and remember I am giving you my time, freely, and I am not just sat waiting for your email or call, I have other responsibilities and they don’t allow me to drop everything. Be kind, say thank you, it’s not a lot to ask really is it?

So whilst I am complaining – a message to those of you who are still contacting me about things you were interested in being a part of, remember who discussed them with you? Was it me? Did I convince you that you can change your path? Were you told I was part of those plans as they were my projects? That’s very likely, I agree. Some have spoken with me and I have worked with them to do the things they wanted after having those conversations. However, if you have sent me emails, messages, voicemails accusing me of letting you down because the person who told you those projects were being planned isn’t replying or hasn’t delivered? I can’t help you because I will not be made to feel guilty or terrible because someone else let you down.

This is not the first time I have made this point publicly and it would seem it’s a point I am repeating publicly for the third time! I do not believe that you were let down by Integr8Archery so my advice would be to go to the person or business who did let you down.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS ME ❤️🏹 I NEVER TAKE YOU FOR GRANTED 😎


Week 41 – time is flying! Remember each of us can make a difference.

Helen Sharpe Blog with a message, weekly update


I genuinely have no idea where time is racing to!

41 weeks of Integr8Archery! Wow!

Lots of catching up done in the last day or so after I got home from Lilleshall volunteering as a small part of the amazing team who put on events with Archery GB, my third international event, but I learn from every event I help at, regardless of it’s level. Hard work? Absolutely! Long days? For sure! Worth it? Always!!

Always great catching up with friends and they are my friends as they allow me to sit in my pjs when they gather to chill after dinner 🙃 and they look after me when my body is struggling, no easy thing.

Instructor course, start archery, 4 community events, the disability session at the end of April to name a few …. hard work but so very worth it! New things popping up after sitting in my room alone for 9 evenings with my notepad – never able to turn off my mind! 😉

In order to allow Integr8Archery CIC to be non profit and to put on as much as we can at little to no cost for the community I have to remain in paid employment since I have yet to get that big winning lottery ticket 😂 and this week will see me start my new job after being out of work for 6 weeks following my fixed term contract expiring. This will see me take on a role that I think will be both challenging and rewarding and I am excited. I think the shifts will make my time adaptable for Integr8Archery too as some people want me on weekends and some on weekdays, so now I will have potential to be flexible around those wants. Most importantly from the Integr8Archery perspective it means I don’t require an income from what I do here.

I saw a quote that I really liked this week:

“Don’t leave a place the way you found it. 

Leave it the way you would like to have found it.'”

Ben Ferencz. 

A lot of what I aim to achieve is covered by this I think. If we each do a little bit, together we can achieve so much to make things better. Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Safeguarding – all can make a better world.

A day late – but I had an excuse 🙃 Happy Easter 🐣

Helen Sharpe Event recap

Sorry, yesterday was very busy, as is always to be expected on finals day!

However I sit here having been a small cog in the huge network of staff and volunteers that have pulled off another great event. My third international event now but I have lost count of how many events I have volunteered and helped with for Archery GB. What I do remember are the people, volunteers, competitors and everyone else that I have met along the road. For the most part amazing people.

My family of blue shirts are, in my opinion, unbeatable when we get together. Thanks and respect, as always to the amazing Malcolm Rees who goes to fantastic lengths to get the best images📸

I have managed to keep on top of most things, but will be sitting down later and likely much of tomorrow replying to emails, requests and generally getting everything back on track for the next few weeks especially with the events that Integr8Archery will be hosting, exciting times.

This week I received a message from the Royal Volunteer Service to tell me that I have been nominated for a Coronation Champions Award! Winning these is never something that I aim for but I have now been told by who and why I have been nominated and it has blown me away! Wow! Humbled 🤗

This week sees me start a new day job, I say day job, I will be working shifts but I am very excited about the challenges it will bring whilst also allowing me to hopefully make a difference.

Have a good week and enjoy those arrows ❤️🏹