4 Dec 2024
For this month's Club Spotlight we head down slightly further north in Lanarkshire where we chat to Marcus McInally of Monklands Archery Club (MAC) - thanks for sharing Marcus!
To find out more about MAC, visit their website here.
Please can you give us a brief background on the club?
We are Monklands Archery Club based in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire and part of the West of Scotland area. We approximately have 20 members, 1 Level 2 Coach and 10 highly experienced coaching volunteers. We cater for everyone aged 10+ and are a large club with Recurve, Compound and Barebow shooters.
Our club has a very storied history which I can't do justice on this form but I recommend checking our history section on the clubs website: https://monklandsarcheryclub.azurewebsites.net/Home/About
Where did the idea of the club originally come about?
Our founder David McPherson was an Olympic gymnastics coach and found archery being practiced in a hall nearby his gymnastics hall one day. He decided to take it up. He started the Bell/Monklands Archery Club in 1973.
What is your club's overall aim and objectives?
To provide a safe, fun environment for people to get what they want out of the sport. From social and hobby shooters to those who have national or international competitive ambitions. Our coaching staff and veterans look to help everyone in the club achieve their goals.
Can you talk us through your club development journey?
Our club run Beginner Sessions for new members to join and we have recently joined the Glasgow Archery League which has provided a great opportunity for the club to allow members to compete representing the club. Our clubs development is detailed more in the about section of our website. https://monklandsarcheryclub.azurewebsites.net/Home/About
Have you worked with any particular people/partners?
We loosely partner with several clubs in Lothian and Glasgow. This gives our members the chance to experience other forms of archery. Such as Field archery. We welcome visitor archers to club every week as well.
What do you think makes the club unique?
Our atmosphere, our history and our legacy.
Do you have any projects you are working on as a club?
We are expanding our membership to fill our indoor venue again. and with the rising costs of archery equipment, we are looking to put in place a system to help people get their start in the sport. With recurve and compound kits available for beginners to get started with while they save for their own equipment.
Are there any particular challenges the club face?
Facilities: Finding larger indoor venues, we have a substantial waiting list for beginners but we also have a physical limit to the amount of members we can accommodate in our indoor facility.outdoors our venue was marked for closure by the NL council and is currently under asset transfer request by a different local club. Without a suitable outdoor venue we will be unable to keep our club in Coatbridge.
What future goals do you have as a club?
Continue to expand and bring new members into the club. Rebuild our competitive teams to a level similar to that which the club had during the mid-2010s. We are also exploring opportunities to upskill members to become coaches by completing an Archery GB Session Coach Level 1 course
Is the culture of the club inclusive and consider the inclusion of participants with disabilities?
We have a large disability section at the club at Monklands and as per our philosophy these archers vary between those who are looking for a social environment where the tea, biscuits and banter are as critical to the experience and the shooting itself to archers who have competed around the UK at disability games.
Would you like to add anything else?
I feel like our clubs atmosphere is much easier to understand in person. If you'd like to come along for a visit then we'd love to hear from you.