30 Jun 2026
With June being Pride Month, a period dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities around the world, we thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight some of the excellent work within clubs to truly make archery an inclusive sport for everyone.
Both St Cuthberts Prestwick Archery Club and Lasswade Archery Club hosted events as part of Leap Sports Festival Fortnight. Festival Fortnight (FF), coordinated by LEAP Sports, takes place annually, and aims to increase the visibility and participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people in Scottish sport, and provides opportunities to raise awareness of LGBTIQ+ and wider equality, inclusion, and human rights issues within the world of sport and physical activity.
Craig Paterson from Prestwick St Cuthbert Archery Club shared his reflections from the event:
‘‘Prestwick St Cuthbert Archery Club hosted their second LEAP Sports Come & Try event this month which was a brilliant example of archery as a truly inclusive sport, welcoming people from a wide range of minority and underrepresented groups.
We were proud to see LGBTQI+ participants, disabled archers including a wheelchair user, and individuals from diverse backgrounds all taking part together in a safe, supportive and encouraging environment. It was especially rewarding to see how easily the facility accommodated disabled access needs, ensuring everyone could take part on equal terms.
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'A huge thank you to our club volunteers and members whose support, patience and encouragement made the event such a success. There were also some great conversations about coaching pathways and how we can continue to grow opportunities that better reflect and serve all communities.
Events like this show the real strength of archery—open, welcoming, and accessible to everyone.’’
Great work from both clubs in proactively reducing barriers for the LGBTI+ community to participate in archery.
If you would like to join the LEAP Sports Club Directory: Join LEAP | LEAP Sports Scotland
