Dorset & Wiltshire Archery Association

The Dorset & Wiltshire Archery Association are pleased to announce we are holding DWAA workshop and SportEngland seminar afternoon sessions in August for all Wiltshire and Dorset located clubs.

1. ‘What Do Clubs Want From The County Association?’ Workshop (1.5 hours). Each club must be represented at this. 

2. SportEngland Club Matters – Options for Club Structures Seminar (2 hours). With a SportEngland facilitator this follow-on Seminar is optional however it is highly recommended your leadership Executive attend this to decide any legal implications to your club to then take back to your wider committee.

This facilitated Club Structures Seminar is the first in series available from SportEngland

https://learn.sportenglandclubmatters.com/mod/page/view.php?id=537

Within the Grand Western region at least Gloucestershire have already held these seminars

Another important part of the afternoon will be the opportunity for Wiltshire based clubs to meet together outside of a tournament environment.

Please may we ask that you check with your own club Secretaries that they have had an email from us on this and it’s not in their spam folder or gone to the wrong person etc…

It’s for club leadership Execs (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer according to the club Constitutions) so there is no need to attend yourselves unless you fall into that category or you want to set-up a new club

If your club Secretary hasn’t got it the notification please ask them to contact chairman@dwaa.org.uk

A response with attendees is needed by at least 1 week before each date.

WHAT IS DWAA?

A couple of years ago, I was informed by my club secretary that DWAA (Dorset and Wiltshire Archery Association) was in need of volunteers to help its committee. My first thoughts were ‘Who is DWAA?’, and ‘What do they do?’, so I started to dig.

You may be surprised to learn that after, nearly half a century in archery, I was asking these simple questions. As a hobby archer, I need a few more years practice before my shooting is good enough to appear above half way in any competition results list – so I rarely enter any, other than my club and local friendly shoots at other local clubs. So, I was not involved with County or Region or National Shoots.

My investigation into DWAA gave me an insight into what they do and how they are vital to all archers in the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire. Let me explain why I came to this conclusion and why I was very willing to give my time to this organization.

I found out that DWAA was responsible for ‘Authorising’ all training that leads to coaching qualifications in the Counties. Thus, your Level 1 and 2 qualified coaches would have qualified by attending a Counties’ authorised course, and they would have been eligible for a grant for the cost of the course (the region organisation, GWAS, will match any Grant awarded by DWAA). The Counties also provide grants for other reasons such as clothing for Judges (where would we be if the Judges have no clothes?!!!!), and for archers who represent the counties in competitions. The DWAA also has discretionary funds for grants to individual archers.

I also found out that the DWAA website is a central location for what is going on in local clubs, thus saving me and any archer, having to consult many websites.

I also found out that the DWAA, besides organising various competitions in the area, also selects and supports and manages local archers (both senior and junior) to represent the county.

The DWAA also provides various services to help individual clubs. One of the simplest is allowing the clubs to send the GWAS fees and forms alongside their DWAA forms and fees (reducing postage and complexity for clubs). Clubs also have access to a person who can help navigate and resolve ‘protection’ issues or even disputes within clubs; this is a major advantage to clubs as it can involve a lot of negotiation and skill to get to a resolution.

Clubs can also use DWAA to find Judges for their competition, as well as borrowing a set of official timing lights (which are held by DWAA).

So, if like me you want the DWAA organisation to continue, do please get involved and offer your help (not all help has to involve attending committee meetings), and do be aware that as the counties are so large any costs involved in helping to run the DWAA are reimbursable (including mileage).

A summary of key services provided by your County committee is included on page 2.

Written by Ralph Wood

Services provided by DWAA

For the Archer :-

  • Local record status shoots
  • Authorisation of coaching courses
  • Grants for those undertaking Coaching Qualifications
  • Become a candidate Judge, clothing allowance is available as a grant
  • Organising and Managing County Teams (Senior and Junior)
  • Grants for County Team Events
  • Discretionary Grants for individual Archers
  • Website detailing local Archery events and news

For Clubs :-

  • Website to advertise club events to a wider audience
  • List of local Judges who could officiate at club shoots
  • Ability to pay GWAS and DWAA fees in one go, and notification of each year’s fees
  • Ability to borrow ‘Competition Timing Lights’ (needed for ‘Record Status’ Shoots)
  • Protection Officer, to advise and guide resolution of issues within the club

Committee Members:-

  • Get paid expenses including car mileage
  • Get involved in helping archers in the area and clubs to function successfully