Drum Field Archers is a volunteer-led Field Archery Club established in Gilmerton in February 1999. The club is affiliated with both the Scottish Field Archery Association (SFAA) and the International Field Archery Association (IFAA).The club began following a successful “come and try” session at the local Community Centre. Shortly afterwards, Drum became fully constituted and membership grew rapidly.

Initially based at Gilmerton Society Hall, the club received significant support from the Gilmerton Community Centre Management Committee, the South East Edinburgh Partnership and the Gardener’s Pub.

Our Ethos

From the outset, Drum Field Archers has aimed to provide an affordable, grassroots, not-for-profit archery club for everyone.

That ethos remains at the heart of the club today, supporting people from the local community and beyond, regardless of age or stage of life, to participate in and enjoy archery.

Community Involvement

Drum became well known through word of mouth, participation and media coverage. Over the years the club has been invited to deliver “come and try” sessions at a wide range of community events including Gala Days, Fettes Police Family Day, the Falkirk Wheel, schools, Braid Hills Golf Open Days and International Women’s Day.

These events have helped introduce archery to people who may otherwise never have had the opportunity to try the sport.

Competitive Success

In 2001 the first group of Drum archers represented Scotland at the European Field Archery Championships in Leukerbad Switzerland returning with an outstanding medal haul.

That competitive success has continued ever since.

In 2004 a 14-year-old club member was approached by local MSP Mike Pringle to represent both the area and the club at the Opening of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. That same year she won Edinburgh’s Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Local business Bernard Hunter subsequently sponsored her participation at the World Championships in Australia and the European Championships in Finland. At the age of 18 she was again named Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Over the last 20 years Drum archers have competed across the world including Africa, Australia, America, South America, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, San Marino and Romania as well as throughout the UK and Ireland.

The club has also hosted Scottish and UK Championships at its outdoor venue in conjunction with the SFAA.

Drum has become well known nationally and internationally for its coaching, outdoor facilities and competitive achievements. Club members have achieved World, European, UK and Scottish Championship titles on numerous occasions in both indoor and outdoor competition.

Coaching and Junior Development

Drum currently has two Level 3 International Instructor Coaches, four Level 2 Coaches and four Trainee Coaches.

Junior archers are also encouraged to act as peer mentors for younger beginners, sharing their knowledge and skills within a safe, structured and supervised environment.

Club members have also received funding to take part in Emergency First Aid training, and the club has access to Child Protection Training.

The “Tattie Shed”

As membership continued to increase, Drum had outgrown Gilmerton Society Hall by 2012 and needed a larger venue.

Local business Bernard Hunter came to the rescue, offering the club a “shed” to use as an indoor training venue. It soon became affectionately known throughout the archery community as the “Tattie Shed.”

For many years, the Tattie Shed provided a safe and secure home for the club with designated areas for youngsters, parents and equipment maintenance. It was also used for National Governing Body meetings and as a National Training Venue several times each year.

Although the Tattie Shed is no longer our home it remains an important part of Drum’s history with many happy memories made there by generations of members.

Continued Growth

Following the move in 2012 the club continued to grow welcoming families, individuals and couples beginning their own personalised archery journeys.

Many members have gone on to join Scottish teams competing at local, national and international level.

At its busiest, weekly attendance ranged from around 30–50 people during spring, summer and autumn, rising to approximately 50–75 per week during the winter indoor season.

All club fees and subscriptions are reinvested into the club, helping to provide beginner equipment, maintenance, targets and promotion of the club.

Volunteers and Fundraising

Drum Field Archers would not be sustainable without the commitment of its volunteers.

Parents, coaches and members have supported the club in many ways, including organising raffles and fundraising activities, running the tuck shop, painting and decorating, carrying out maintenance and encouraging family members to contribute their own skills and workmanship.

Some families have even taken their sport on holiday with them, delivering ad-hoc archery sessions in exchange for extra opportunities to practise.

Fundraising initiatives, including bag packing and small grants, have helped support both travelling competitors and archers based at the club.

Olympic Connections

A major investment in the club followed the London Olympics, when Drum was gifted lighting from the Aquatics Centre to improve the lighting within its venue.

Continuing the Olympic connection, GB Olympic archer Patrick Huston visited the Tattie Shed to give an inspirational talk and provide coaching tips to the club’s young archers.

He also used the venue to film his Urban Archery promotional video.

The Heart of the Club

Drum Field Archers has received many compliments for its success as a grassroots, community-based sports club, but none of this would have been possible without the support of its members, volunteers, local businesses and the many people who have contributed furniture, equipment, skills and workmanship over the years.

The club’s strength has always come from the people behind it and from its commitment to providing an affordable, welcoming and supportive place for people to enjoy archery.

The venues may have changed over the years, but the friendships, achievements and memories created along the way remain an important part of the Drum Field Archers story.