NFAS

Due to a recent downturn in my health I have made the reluctant decision to resign from the post of Field Officer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those teams of Longbow Heritage, Pete Dixon and SWAC who have already put in so much time and effort in designing the course in respect to the 3Ds, and also from earlier on this year, members Richard Wright and Ray Whitehead who have been instrumental in the arrangements for the Nationals and have lead the work regarding the discussions with Wynyard Hall on our behalf. My thanks also to their support team of Tom Bainbridge and Ben Kirkley, from Butsfield Bowmen, and also the team from Stonebow Field Archers of Alison MacRory, Sean Wilson and Bruce Walton. It is indeed unfortunate that the last two championships have had to be cancelled, and 2020 may have been a bit of a damp squib, but with so much commitment already shown I feel sure that 2021 will be a blast - see you at next year's Champs.

Good luck to all in the NFAS family.

It is with regret that the Committee have taken the decision to cancel the National Championships for 2020. It was not an easy decision to make and there are several factors that were considered before reaching this decision. There is no indication if large gatherings such as this will be allowed come September and currently we have no guarantee that the landowners would welcome us in such a large number. There is also the problem of whether hotels, B&Bs and restaurants would be open for business, which a lot of members rely on when attending championships. More importantly we could not ensure the safety of members, the course builders/marshals, caterers or admin staff from COVID-19. We realise that things may change at the last minute however arrangements need to take place well in advance and not at short notice. We do realise that this news will disappoint a lot of members that were looking forward to attending the Nationals and we will miss putting the event on for you, however your safety is paramount.

Please consider applying for one of the Committee positions. Currently the following are either vacant, or will be from November:

• Membership Secretary - having someone come forward now
  will mean a smooth handover by November. If this is not filled the
  society cannot continue next year.
• Field Officer - without this position the championships won't go ahead.
• Safety Officer - this is not a very busy role but is very necessary to investigate any shoot incidents and also at the championships
  
• Nationals Admin

It is a very rewarding experience being on the committee, so if you'd like to find out more, with no obligation if its not for you, please
feel free to contact the post holders, or any of the Committee, contact details on the website and in the mag. Other Committee positions
will become available for election/re-election later in the year, but the ones mentioned above require a longer hand over.

Your NFAS Committee met again today (6th June) by online video call and amongst other items discussed forthcoming open shoots.

As you all know the present Government advice is that no more than six people from different households can meet outside, to try to reduce the rate of infection of Covid-19.

The committee would like to inform clubs that all open shoots should be cancelled until the government changes its advice to allow mass gatherings to take place. I would like all club secretaries / organisers, with future shoots booked, to contact me (shootdates@nfas.net) when they have taken the appropriate decision so that I can update the NFAS website. Please don't just post it on Facebook (many of our members don't use social media) but let me know and I will action the cancellation.

I would like to thank all those clubs that have contacted me in the last few months cancelling their shoots in a timely manner.

We all look forward to the time when we can meet up and enjoy the company of other archers at open shoots but until this pandemic is under control and this is possible we must be patient.

Further to the Government’s announcement the Committee recommend the following:

• Anyone that has been in contact with someone who has, or is suspected as having, Covid-19 must not attend the club/woods. We recommend that anyone that has vulnerable people living at home should not attend the club/woods.

• Clubs to complete risk assessments following government or local guidelines in force at the current time and clubs must adapt to the changes as they occur. If this is not possible then the club/woods should remain closed. Risk assessments should consider, but not be limited to, the amount of people allowed in groups observing strict social distancing measures, how to limit groups, the number of gates handled to access the property, if ropes have to be used for safe conduct on the course, and the state of targets and if arrows can be pulled safely with minimal hand use. Blank risk assessment forms and examples on how to complete can be found under the Club Pack on the NFAS website.

• Clubs must ensure the landowners agree with members starting to use the woods.

• Communal facilities at clubs/woods to remain unavailable, such as tea/coffee making facilities, toilets etc.

• When social distancing, approach the target one at a time, pull own arrows, then stand 2 metres away to allow the other person to pull their arrows. Try not to touch the target with your hands. Be aware when searching for arrows.

• Clubs should not invite guests.

• Clubs should cancel all shoots (e.g. open shoots, club shoots, and ‘friendlies’) until the Government guidelines advise that gatherings can take place.

• No indoor club practices.

• Comply with all Government guidelines, if this changes at short notice then Government guidelines take precedence. This also only covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may have different rules that should be adhered to.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/
coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do

Spirit of Sherwood has taken the hard decision to cancel our August shoot. This is not a decision we have made easily as we know how much the visiting archers and our dedicated members enjoy the event.We however feel it is the correct and safe thing to do at this time.

Aswell as keeping the safety of "you" the visiting archers in mind we also have to think about our members especially the Admin team.

At present we are also under restricted access from the Forestry Commision, so any work that we would like to carry out on the course to keep the shoot to the same quality as you would normally expect cannot take place.

On behalf of the committee and members of Spirit of Sherwood I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support and hope you all stay safe in these strange times we are encountering.

Toad Hollow Archers have had to cancel the Toad Hollow two day August Bank holiday shoot.

We can't expect you to book your accommodation with crossed fingers nor club members to put in so much work in what would be at best such a short space of time for something that is only looking like having a small chance of happening.

Bringing together a couple of hundred unrelated archers from all over the country to Toad Hollow does not seem to be in any form a good idea and the risk far outweighs any advantage. On the basis there isn't a second wave of infections, we will be planning a one day shoot towards the end of the year and possibly another at the beginning of next spread out across the top sections, craters, woodland..

Everyone who has paid for the two day will have their payments refunded shortly.

Stay safe!

Our late Summer weekend open shoot is scheduled to take place on 5^th and 6^th September 2020.

The on-going Covid-19 situation means we are currently unable to confirm if the shoot will indeed be going ahead as planned. We will make this decision once we have clarity on the official guidance, and most importantly, on our ability to ensure your health and well-being, our top priority.

The latest go, no-go date is Sunday 9^th August and by then we will let you know of our decision via our website, the NFAS website and various Facebook pages. Thank you for your understanding and in the meantime, be sensible, be safe and stay healthy.