ARCHERS have helped raise thousands of pounds for their club’s chosen charity through a number of fundraising events.

Overton Black Arrows generated £2,700 for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) over the course of 2019.

The money was raised through various events including quiz nights, a 24-hour shoot over the summer solstice as well as the Watership Down Open Field Tournament and Hampshire County Championships.

The 24-hour summer solstice shoot was the club’s biggest event of the year, raising £2,300 alone.

A total of 36 club members aged between nine and 80 years old took part, shooting around the clock from 10am on Friday, June 21, until 10am the following morning.

More than 250 rounds were shot in total, with each round consisting of 36 arrows shot at 30 metres for a maximum score of 360 points. Craig Ballantine recorded the best score of the evening, coming close to a perfect round with a tally of 358.

Temperatures dropped to nine degrees overnight, but that didn’t stop the shooting, with the best score for a recurve archer being recorded at 2am.

Others huddled around the firepit and were fuelled by teas and coffees and huge quantities of cake.

Off the back of the 24-hour shoot, the club then welcomed members of the charity for a have-a-go session at its Laverstoke base in July, with the HIOWAA frontline and support crew taking part.

At last month’s annual general meeting it was decided that the club will be supporting the Fleet-based Stepping Stones Downs Syndrome Supper Group next year.

Overton Black Arrows is based in Laverstoke, near Overton, and was founded in 1962.

The club currently has 83 members aged between 9 and 80 years old. For more information go to overtonblackarrows.org.