NSRA Performance Club - Centurions Target Sports Club

Logo for Centurion Target Sports Club featuring a stylized centurion helmet with a visor in a maroon color

Leanne Lacey talks about Centurions Target Sports Club and what it takes to be awarded NSRA Performance Club status

Centurions, founded in 2001, is the in-house target shooting club at the NSRA Lord Roberts Centre (LRC) in Bisley. The club is open to all ages and abilities of shooters hoping to learn or improve their skills in air rifle and air pistol disciplines. The club was founded with a focus on developing the younger shooter and has a great record of success in this area. In addition, being a Disability Club Hub ensures Centurion remains inclusive to shooters with additional physical needs and we are proud to have Paralympic medal winners on our committee and coaching team.

Banner for NSRA Performance Clubs with purple and white theme with the NSRA logo on the right

As an accredited NSRA Performance Club, Centurions recognises those with talent and we have a strong tradition of assisting individuals, both Senior and Junior, through to Regional Squads and British Shooting Pathways. Centurions are a shining example of an NSRA member club and were the first club in the South of England to apply. Becoming a club with Performance status was a nod to our amazing committee, volunteer coaches and our range officers who work tirelessly to ensure the success of the club; it was like awarding them with a badge of honour for all their continued hard work and effort! Centurions has a commitment to supporting the NSRA, we recently rebuilt the 6 yard and 10 Metre ranges at LRC to enable both Centurion TSC and other shooting groups to continue their training after the recent changes to the ranges at the centre.

A large group of people sitting in a room with a table at the front in an indoor setting with beige brick and gray walls, fluorescent ceiling lights, and a whiteboard on the side.

Many of our members shoot competitively and have had success at National and International events. We encourage members to gain experience of competition early by running in-house competitions and encouraging members to enter local postal leagues. The regular club competitions and fun shoots bring the members together socially in a fun and supportive environment, and let’s face it, everyone loves a bit of team rivalry! Individually, the postal leagues are a great way to test your skills against shooters from many other clubs and we compete regularly in the Dorset, Eastern Region, Surrey and Eley Postal Leagues, usually gathering a good haul of medals from each of these. For the hobby or competitive shooter alike, we are always available for coaching hints and tips. We have a number of qualified coaches and instructors on hand at each session to help both our new members as well as offer support and guidance to our more experienced athletes.

People at an indoor shooting range at different stages of aiming at their targets

The club offers a trial session for prospective members so that they can get a feel for the different disciplines as well as meet coaches and members to get a feel for the club before they join. The club also provides coaching sessions on a one-to-one basis, all included in your membership.

Guest speakers are a feature at Centurions. Margaret Thomas came in to talk about her prestigious career and offer guidance on training and practice processes, Gary Turner spoke about the mental and psychological approach to competition, as well as Matt Guille who came in to talk to our members about the British Shooting Pathways.

The Centurions Christmas gathering. Group of people gathered around a Christmas tree inside a building decorated with holiday ornaments, some wearing festive sweaters and Santa hats.

Centurions currently operates on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm-9pm at the Lord Roberts Centre, NSRA Bisley.
You can read more about them on their website here or for further information, please contact the Centurions Secretary at secretary.centurions@gmail.com 

Ready To Be One Of Our NSRA Performance Clubs? Click Here to Learn More

Our Performance Clubs

  • Bury St Edmunds Small-bore Rifle Club

  •    Centurions Target Shooting Club

  •    East Grinstead Target Shooting Club

  •    Pinhoe Target Shooting Club

  • Rugeley Rifle Club

  • Target Techniques

How It All Began

The NSRA represents around 900 clubs across the UK which cover a diverse range of disciplines. The clubs all have their own character with members and committee members put in an inordinate amount of work to maintain them.

Across these clubs some are mainly focused on recreational shooting, while others have a more competitive focus.

We wanted to recognise clubs that have a passion for competition and are looking to support both the current and next generation of shooters, from grassroots to hopeful Olympians.  These clubs offer key things athletes need to succeed at any level.

 

 If you are a club that is aiming to enrol, nurture and prepare high quality competitive shooters – many of whom may aspire to represent their county, region or country in high level competition, then join the elite ranks of our current NSRA Performance Clubs and apply today!

We’ll cover the main questions and what you need to apply below.

What do you need to become NSRA Performance Club accredited?

As an overview, NSRA Performance Clubs have an ethos of competition and shooter development. They will have:

  • good facilities appropriate to ISSF Disciplines

  • a reasonable level of equipment available for use

  • competitive opportunities

  • qualified instructors and coaches

  • connections to other organisations involved in the Performance Pathway (see below graphic).

NSRA Performance Clubs banner with purple and white theme and the NSRA logo to the right

You gain:

  • Status and recognition

  • Increase in overall performance level of the club

  • Accreditation helps to support grant applications etc

  • More appropriate membership enquiries/more members

  • Interest of contacts/networks of external organisations (e.g. Regional Squads, British Shooting etc.)

Performance Clubs: an innovation to deliver part of the solution

NSRA Clubs are at the forefront of grassroots target shooting, giving many people their first experiences of aiming at a target or entering a competition.  NSRA Performance Clubs are the perfect springboard to the wider competitive scene, opening the doors to many external organisations that can help athletes achieve their goals.

From Counties looking to develop a quality County Team, to Regional Squads, through to those looking to form a Home Countries team and even British Shooting with their various Performance Pathways, these external organisations are keen to establish a clear pathway from induction into the sport to performance level shooting.

As an active part of the competitive pipeline, NSRA Performance Clubs play a key role in developing and preparing athletes for Performance Pathways; from first steps onto the range to supporting an athlete’s onward competitive journey. They can assist in achieving athletes’ goals and aspirations by playing a key part in providing access to new opportunities to both shooters and Coaches, through their relationships with external organisations.

Color gradient funnel diagram showing progression of shooting sports organizations from NSRA Clubs to British Shooting World Class Programme.

Criteria for NSRA Performance Clubs

Performance Clubs are benchmarked to a common standard covering:

  • Disciplines

  • Facilities

  • Systems and Management

  • Coaching Provision

  • Communication Links with External Organisations

Let’s go into each of these standards in detail:

Disciplines

While it is not necessary to offer all disciplines, it is essential to offer at least one of the ISSF event disciplines listed below.

  • 10m Air Rifle (standing)

  • .22 (Prone)

  • .22 (3 positions)

  • Pistol (Air)

  • Pistol (Other) Clubs not in mainland Britain may offer ISSF Pistol disciplines

Facilities

A good standard of general facilities is needed, and there is a minimum amount of required opening hours.

Table listing facilities and requirements for a shooting range, including basic requirements, range distances, training equipment, coaching area, debrief area, athlete changing areas, opening hours, and out of hours training options.

Systems and Management (Organisation and Governance)

This section deals with how your club is run and its core features.  It should have:

  • A Constitution in line with the NSRA's “model Club constitution“ format.  This needs to be reviewed on a regular basis to take into account changes in legislation and policies. Copies of the constitution should be added to the JustGo Portal by the Club Secretary. The Model Constitution and Rules can be downloaded from here https://www.nsra.co.uk/club-rules-and-guidance

  • Policies & Procedures - It is important that a club keeps itself up to date in respect of its policies and procedures both for the wellbeing of its members, but also for financial and legal security.  It should have policies and procedures on:

    • Firearms safety on club premises (NSRA Rules of Shooting)

    • Vulnerable adults and children (Safeguarding Courses from UK Coaching or via Local Sport Partnerships (NSPCC)

    • Equality and Diversity

    • Disability

    • Risk Assessments

  • Home Office approved - Has current Home Office approval (if appropriate to disciplines covered)

  • NSRA affiliated - Affiliation to the NSRA provides the club with benefits such as insurance, access to coaching schemes, legal assistance in respect of firearms legislation, representation with the national government

  • County affiliated - Clubs are required to affiliate to the respective County association as part of the club affiliation process.  County Associations provide support for clubs both in the provision of competitions but also as a direct link into the governance of the NSRA via the Shooting Council

  • Club Development Plan - A Club Development Plan allows you to think about your club, where it performs well, and where there are opportunities to improve. If you are applying for funding you will need to produce one to show the club has thought how it wants to develop. It needs to be reviewed on an annual basis, as priorities may change.

    It does not have to be complex, but you should review where your club is now and use the plan to identify where you want to be. Contact the coordinator if you require any assistance in this performanceclubs@nsra.co.uk

    You can access more information on a basic Club Development Plan here and a Coaching Development Plan here

A table listing requirements for a club, including constitution, policies & procedures, home office approval, NSRA affiliation, linked talent development organizations, and development plan, with essential and desirable criteria marked.

Coaching Provisions

Clubs should be looking to both develop current coaches and encourage others to begin their coaching journey. You can view a potential coaching development plan here

Table of requirements for a club, including qualifications for instructors and coaches, responsibilities of committee members, recruitment, development activities, coaching resources, and online resources.

 Communications Links with External Organisation

Each County will have it’s own Teams, along with Regional and Home Countries.  You will need to have contacts and links with regional squads/British Shooting Talent Network (if available in region) or equivalent structures enables you to feed athletes into the system allowing them to develop to the highest level. Please email the Performance Club Co-ordinator for contact details for your regional squad.


NSRA Performance Clubs need to have:

Table with columns labeled Requirements, Essential, and Desirable, listing criteria for talent development. Items include links to regional squads and Shooter Pathway, evidence, and competitions, with check marks indicating essential criteria.
A table listing requirements for sports and club organizations, including regional squad liaison, current shooter pathway, disabled shooting links, chat groups, and liaison with nearby clubs, with checkmarks indicating essential requirements.

Here’s a basic overview of some of the external organisations you would look to building relationships with:

Regional and Home Nation Squads

Across the UK there are Regional Squads. These provide opportunities for further development and representation in Inter Regional level.

 Home Nation Squads provide opportunities for representation at the Commonwealth Championships and other shoots.

Map of England divided into regions with labels and color coding: North West Region, North East Region, Mercian Region, Eastern Region, South East Region, South West Region, Wales, Scotland - STS, Northern Ireland - NIFSS, and a note indicating England - ESSU.

British Shooting Athlete Programmes

At the National Level, British Shooting have established various Pathways and Academies to take shooters to the higher levels of International Competition. They are interested in working with organisations like NSRA Performance Clubs who can provide athletes that have the potential to perform well on the international stage. 

NSRA Performance Club Application

To apply for NSRA Performance Club accreditation, or for any further queries, please contact Andy via email on performanceclubs@nsra.co.uk for more details and the application form.

Even if you don’t yet meet the criteria, we can help you to put together an action plan that will assist your club to reach NSRA Performance Club status. 

The application process is simple:

  • Fill in the application form

  • Assemble a portfolio of evidence to match the criteria

  • Send in the application form and evidence via email to: performanceclubs@nsra.co.uk

All Performance Clubs are required to email a brief yearly update on activity at the club and a 3-yearly report on activity, to renew their Performance Club status.