16 Jul 2026
The Soft Archery Festival took place on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Easterhouse Phoenix Community Centre in Glasgow. The community event was funded by the Glasgow 2026 Festival Fund as part of the cultural celebrations surrounding the return of the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games which begins on 23rd July.
This activity was funded by the Glasgow 2026 Festival which is a ten-week, city-wide invitation to gather, featuring spectacular new artworks, major cultural events, and loads of exciting opportunities to take part in sport, physical activity and fun workshops across every corner of the city, celebrating the return of the Commonwealth Games this summer.Â
The Soft Archery festival was led by Easterhouse Phoenix Development, who work daily with residents who face barriers to engaging in physical activity, including cost, confidence, lack of local provision and social isolation. This project aimed to directly respond to this need by offering a free, welcoming and accessible activity that does not require prior experience, specialist clothing or equipment.
Event Highlights
Free Admission: The festival was completely free to attend for all ages and skill levels.
No Booking Needed: It operated on a drop-in basis, meaning no prior experience or equipment was required.
Certified Support: Local volunteers and staff completed the official Scottish Archery Soft Archery Leaders Award course to guide participants safely and enjoyably
Part of a Broader Fun Day: In addition to archery sessions running in the function hall, the event featured local sports partnerships offering boxing, Tae Kwon Do, table tennis, multi-sports, and dance fitness.
Community Outreach: Free lunch and refreshments were provided to attendees during the festival hours
Reach: We had 87 participants, with 41 males and 46 females. Check out more info below on age ranges:
Age Range
2-5 – 17 participants
6-9 year old – 22 participants
10-14 year old – 17 participants
15-18 year old – 5 participants
19-24 year old – 2 participants
25+ - 24 participants
It was fantastic to see a wide range of ages and abilities take part in the session and also the day provided an excellent opportunity for local people to socialise, meet new people and find out more about the sport of archery and Easterhouse Phoenix.
Lets hear from what some of the participants said about their experience of the soft archery festival:
‘‘The kids loved it, and it was easy enough to understand’’
‘‘The volunteers were great, good lesson and were very patient with small children’’
‘‘It was lots of fun, we got multiple shots and enjoyed have a competition with other participants’’
‘‘Had a brilliant time. More sessions please.’’
A big thank you to Easterhouse Phoenix Community Centre for hosting this event and we look forward to continuing to work together going forward.
