Harvester Archers was established in 1952. Originally partially supported by the International Harvester Company which later became JI Case Tractors, the club has evolved over the years into a self funded organisation and moved in late 1999 to Wheatley Hall Road as a sporting section of Parklands Sports & Social Club. During spring and summer (usually between April and September) Target archery is practiced outdoors on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. From October to March we have use of an indoor range at Parklands on the same days.

About the club

Beginners Courses and Have-A-Goes

Harvester Archers attend several community based activities through the year, country shows, galas and charity events. At these events, members of the public are offered the opportunity to try archery in a safe environment and under close supervision of experienced archers. The number of events attended depends on the number of requests received and the availability of club members to staff the event. These events are used to achieve several functions.

Raising the profile of the sport
Allowing people to try the sport
Opening up facilities of the club to potential members
Raising funds for club activities
Helping others to raise money for their own worthwhile causes.

Beginners Courses are available for people who wish to try archery at a more in depth level. Courses consist of 6 two hour sessions and are held whenever demand warrants one. During the course, rules and regulations, etiquette and safety are discussed as well as the different forms of archery and differing bow styles. Tuition is offered in Target Archery by experienced archers in a controlled environment. Everyone uses the clubs own equipment throughout the course and there is no obligation on anyone to join the club. The course costs £25 per person, which is payable in advance of the course start date.
If you are interested in attending a beginners course or would like further information please contact us, our details are at the bottom of the page.

Anyone can try archery at the Have-A-Go sessions but beginners course applicants must be over 8 years old. A parent/guardian or other responsible adult must accompany anyone between the ages of 8 and 18 years.

Club Membership

The club is registered with the national governing body, the Grand National Archery Society, and has its own shooting grounds approved by them. All club members are also required to be registered with the governing body and abide by its rules.
GNAS fees are payable in September or whenever you first join the club. Club members must affiliate to:

Grand National Archery Society (GNAS)
Northern Counties Archery Society (NCAS)
Yorkshire Archery Association (YAA)

Junior members (8-18 year old) usually pay 50% of the full adult subscription fee to the above associations. A parent / guardian or other responsible adult MUST accompany all juniors.

Membership to Harvester Archers is usually done in February and both adults and junior members pay the same fee. In order to use the facilities at Parklands you must also become a member of the Sports & Social club (single and family memberships are available in addition to concessions).

Equipment

In your first 3 months of membership you are able to use the club's own equipment should you wish to. After 3 months you will normally know if you enjoy the sport enough to buy your own equipment. There is usually something to suit everone's taste and budget. Some equipment can be expensive, especially if you buy new, but other equipment can be found at more reasonable cost, particularly if you bought second hand. There is always someone available to give any advise on buying your own equipment and once you have it, it should last for years. Generally we do not advise anyone to buy their own equipment before attending the beginners course as a number of different factors will determine what type of equipment you will need. Everyones needs are different and you may find that you have bought something that is not suited to you.

Tournaments

Harvester Archers hold their own internal competitions as well as hosting open tournaments in May and August on the main sports field at Parklands. In addition to these events, club members travel to other clubs to represent both Harvester Archers and themselves individually in competetive archery. Entering these competitions is not essential and not all competitions are so formal. Several social events are organised throughout the year for club members. During these events there are often raffles, football cards or quizzes. Any proceeds from these events are put straight back into club funds.

Contact Us

If you have an interest in archery, want to know when the next Have-A-Go event is, have questions about beginners courses or want any further information about anything you have read here, please feel free to contact us.
Email us at : chairman@harvesterarchers.co.uk