Q & A

A. You can find our club, which was founded in 1979, near the outskirts of Edinburgh, at the Lasswade High School Sports Center, Eskdale Drive, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. Some of our members live within the Midlothian area, while others come from Edinburgh, East and West Lothian. October 2004 was the club's 25th Anniversary.

A. On Wednesday evenings (outdoors) and on Wednesday evenings and Saturday evenings (Indoors)

A. It depends on the time of the year. During the outdoor season (May to the end of August) we shoot on Wednesdays between 6.45pm and approximately 9.00pm depending on the daylight available. For the indoor season (September to the end of April) we shoot on Wednesdays between 7.30pm and 9.30pm. Wednesday evenings are for all members providing they have their own equipment and can shoot 20 yards competently. On Saturdays we shoot between 2.30pm and 4.30pm. All under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. In archery a junior is defined as a person who has yet to reach the age of 18yrs.

A. It's easy. From time to time the club holds beginners' classes on Saturday nights, (indoors only as unfortunately no other nights are available to the club) The fees for these classes are £60.00 adults and £30.00 juniors. If you are interested contact the Lasswade High School Sports Centre on 660 1933 and leave your name and a contact phone number or if you live near the sports centre you can get a form to fill in at the reception desk. Leave the form with them and they will pass them on to us.. Your name will then be put onto a waiting list and you will be notified when a new class is being held. In the beginners' class we will teach you the basics of Archery and at the end of this period if you have caught the Archery bug you may join the club. The remainder of your first year's club fee must be made by a one of payment. In your second and subsequent years you can pay by a single annual payment or by installments agreed with the Club Treasurer. If you decide not to stay then change your mind, you will not be permitted to do another beginners' class. You must then join the club. This is a rule of our governing body GNAS. In addition all beginners who complete the class will receive a certificate and should they join the Club a New Members Information Pack. This contains a lot of useful information about our sport and the Club itself.

A. You can join the club, or you can shoot as a visitor, but you will have to show a club official your' current GNAS card before you can shoot. If you shoot as a visitor then a target fee is payable for each session. This is currently £3.50 indoors and £2.00 outdoors.

P.S. The club has a 50lb limit for indoor compound shooters, and we reserve the right to check your draw weight

These fees cover all indoor and outdoor sessions and no target fees are required. Affiliation and club fees are paid seperately. Affiliation fess are annual payments. Club fees are dueon the 4th April and can be paid in installments.

A. Yes, it can be. You could spend several hundred pounds on a bow alone, not including the other equipment you will need. You do not have to spend anywhere near this amount however. You can purchase (new) a good starter bow plus arrows and other accessories for around £175.oo to £300.oo. You could also save on this amount again by purchasing one of the many good quality second hand bows that may be available. After completing a beginners course with club equipment we would expect you to progress to your own equipment soon after. We will advise you about what you will need when that time comes and where you can purchase it. We strongly advise that if you are starting out that any archery equipment is purchased only from reputable archery dealers as they will ensure that you receive the correct equipment for your individual needs. The club can take no responsibility for equipment purchased from other sources.

A. At the moment our membership stands at 39. This breaks down as 28 seniors (4 disabled) and 11 juniors (1 disabled). As with most clubs we are constantly trying to enlist more members who will not just shoot, but hopefully help in the running of the club. I hope you have found the above information useful.

A. Yes! The Club operates the GNAS Child and Vulnerable Adults Policy, meaning in simple terms, if a child joins the Club or attends a beginners' class, then the parent or guardian must accompany the child at all times. We cannot accept responsibility for any un-accompanied children as as we are first and foremost an archery club, not a creche!

If this scheme does not appeal to you then regretfully we cannot accept your child/children.

As already mentioned, a junior in archery becomes a senior at 18 years of age, however, under Scottish law they become an adult at 16. This means any person 16 or over does not require the supervision of a parent/guardian, (unless they are considered vulnerable) but they will shoot as a junior until they become 18.