Blind shooters hit the Bull’s-eye with Sport England

Press Release January 4, 2010

St. Austell Rifle and Pistol Club has won £10,000 of funding to continue helping blind and visually impaired people enjoy the popular sport of shooting.

B.U.G.S. (Blind Using Guided Sights) was established as a specialised section of the club over 10 years ago to provide air-rifle shooting facilities specifically for blind and visually impaired people.

The club has a current membership of 14 shooters, some of whom are totally blind, with seven very dedicated volunteers to assist them. Over the years the club has given them access to a competitive sporting facility and has provided regular opportunities for socialising.

The club is planning to extend the size of the shooting range in the future, to enable it to increase its membership with a particular aim (pardon the pun) towards younger, visually-impaired shooters.

With these plans in mind the club submitted a Grant Application to the Sport England Small Grants Programme, for funding for additional specialised equipment.

B.U.G.S. organiser, David Whiley said: "The Club is absolutely delighted to have been awarded a grant of £10,000 from Sport England, to realise our future expansion plans, and we wish to publicly acknowledge this most generous donation."

Sport England invests funds received from both the National Lottery and the Government to support the development and delivery of grassroots sporting opportunities in England. The Small Grants Programme is designed to help local communities increase access to sport or to improve the experience of people playing sport.

B.U.G.S. has no regular source of income or funding, other than funds raised by the members themselves, through the proceeds of donations, raffles, catering, and in-house competitions.

Cornwall Blind Association provides weekly concessionary transport for the out-of-town members, and is a co-founder of B.U.G.S, together with the St. Austell Rifle and Pistol Club.