Archery is often described as a sport for all ages. However, we generally recommend that children do not start to shoot until they are at least 12 or 13, as younger children are still developing physically, and until they are older, it can be quite easy to damage growing muscles or bones.

London Archers has a 'junior' section, for archers under the age of 18, and we welcome archers who have shot before joining the 'junior club' – juniors can join in the same way 'seniors' can (see transferring membership to London Archers). If a child has not shot before, they can usually apply to join one of our beginners' courses to learn the sport.

However, please note that we are unable to offer places on the 2008 course to junior archers at the moment – while London Archers fully supports the child protection policy adopted by the Grand National Archery Society (the national governing body for most forms of archery in the United Kingdom), and believes that the protection of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance, we regret that none of our beginners' instructors have yet obtained the appropriate Criminal Records Bureau background checks to teach children, and until that changes, our instructors are unable to support junior coaching.

Unfortunately, London Archers is not generally able to assist with corporate events, or in the provision of any corporate hospitality. London Archers is run exclusively by unpaid volunteers, many of whom are in full time paid employment. As a result, members of the club can seldom be available during the conventional working day. It is also a requirement imposed upon London Archers by its landlord that the club does not undertake commercial activity at its main venue, and most corporate events or corporate hospitality would be deemed to be commercial activity.

Unfortunately, London Archers cannot cater for group events such as stag or hen parties.

London Archers is run exclusively by unpaid volunteers, most of whom are unavailable during normal office hours. In addition, the club shares its main venue with a number of other sports and, as a result, has only a limited time during which it may use that venue at weekends. This time is reserved for club members' own practice, as the primary objective of the club is to facilitate members practising the sport.

London Archers does not offer private, paid, tuition to members of the public. We are an amateur sports club, and while several of our more experienced members are either qualified coaches, or have some tuition expertise, it is our understanding that private/paid tuition is outside the scope of the Club's insurance arrangements (provided through our national governing body).

Please note, however, that individual coaching is sometimes available, on a limited basis, to existing members of the club. Any such coaching is on an ad hoc basis, and is a matter of personal arrangement between the coach and the archer wished to receive tuition. The club does have several qualified coaches, or experienced club members willing to share their knowledge and experience, but please remember that our club coaches are archers, too, and respect their practice time!

London Archers is happy to welcome archers back into the sport after a period away, or to see archers from other clubs shoot with us.

If you are still a member of the Grand National Archery Society ("GNAS") (in other words, if you have paid a membership fee to another club during the last year) you will be able to apply to join London Archers immediately. If you wish to join as an associate member (i.e. retaining your membership of another GNAS club) then all you need to do is fill in an application form and send it to the Membership Secretary. Please make sure that you tell us which club you are a member of, and confirm your GNAS number. If you would prefer to transfer membership from your other club to London Archers, please let us know and we will make the necessary arrangements.

If you are returning to the sport after some time away, i.e. you are not currently a member of a GNAS club, you can still apply to be a member of the London Archers, but we will ask you to attend one of our periodic assessment sessions for returning archers before completing the formalities of your application. You will appreciate that we need a chance to confirm whether or not potential new members returning to the sport might need to refresh their memories before becoming active archers again! For returning archers who have been away from the sport for a particularly long time, or who are particularly rusty, we may recommend that those archers go through our summer beginners' course as a reminder of the basic points of shooting form and range safety.

London Archers runs a summer beginners’ course each year, for people who wish to take up the sport of archery. At present, the club is only able to run one course, which takes place in June and July – we do not run courses at any other time, due to limitations on instructor availability and time at our main venue. Full details of the course will be posted on the Beginners' Course pages of this website.

If you have queries about the course, including on how to apply for a place on the course, please read the information on the Beginners' Course pages before contacting the club committee directly.

Full details of the club fees, and information on how to apply for membership, will shortly be posted on the site. The current annual fee for full adult membership of the club is £74.00, but this and the relevant fees for other classes of membership may change at our forthcoming Annual General Meeting. Full details of the fees for 2007/2008 and for 2008/2009 will be published after the AGM.