Hi, I participate in the
GNAS/Fita field side and generally there has been an increase in numbers on this side too. Although not as much as what I have been reading on these threads from
NFAS & EFAA.
I understand that
GNAS make it difficult for other organisations to join in - but I do know a couple of individual’s who are on committee’s at
GNAS are trying to change things to open it up for more to enjoy. Unfortunately it takes an age to get any progress.
The foot & mouth outbreak in 2000 / 2001 caused a lot of tournaments to be cancelled during that time and attendance figures in 2002, 2003 & 2004 were affected as archers who regularly attended seemed to stayed away. However a new bread of interest is out there and things have begun to look up.
This year at Crawley Archery Club it was a full course, the first time for approximatly 10 years. Other tournaments have also seen an increase in numbers especially in Wales. Membership in Northern Ireland has exploded this last year.
New shooting venues have appeared in the UK during the last two years, with a mixed amount of success – for some reason it appears to take a couple of years for a new venue to get established.
In Sussex a small group in the Eastbourne area have invited archers from local
GNAS clubs for an introduction to Fita Field at the end of November. It has seen a good amount of interest. Crawley Archery Club will be doing something similar in February 2007, the idea is to try and demonstrate how much fun shooting around a field course can be.