Welcome to all of our supporters!
Norwich City Target Club (NCTC) is a friendly, inclusive and competitive Target Shooting Club. We are seeking to grow and promote the incredible Olympic and Paralympic sport of 10m air-rifle and pistol shooting to a diverse membership.
- We were founded in 1972, and have a rich history
- Members have gone on to be Olympic & Commonwealth athletes
- NCTC lost their premises in 2018 when the council re-purposed the building, this coupled with the covid pandemic has had a significant impact on the club
- The club relaunched just two years ago, now based out of an existing community building and has been successfully re-building since this time
- As well as our championship winners, we are proud to be welcoming to novices and less expert shooters
- We attract members from many different backgrounds. Most are completely new to shooting, other have come to us via the Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh, Pentathlon, the Pony Club and other shooting disciplines
- We run several large competitions each year attracting participants right across the county
- We have a diverse membership;
- Members are aged from 11-87 years old
- In the last 2 years we have increased our female membership from 5% to 40% and we aim to reach 50% within 2 years
- 17% of members have a disability
- We attract members from both very rural and urban areas of Norfolk
This background has resulted in a unique community of individuals working together and supporting each other’s development in the sport. At our club nights and competitions, you will commonly see a young teenager shooting alongside someone in their 80s. You are equally likely to see national and international level shooters working alongside raw beginners.
We are proud of offering a very supportive and inclusive environment - but keen to improve this further still.
- To develop capacity and expand the club to meet the community of Norfolk’s demand for target shooting and make it more accessible to all
- To recover from the loss of our former premises, and loss of all income through the COVID 19 period
- To improve the shooting experience for club members and visiting competitors
- To provide a more environmentally friendly option to paper target use
- Through the above, to improve the club's resilience and raise its profile both locally and within the wider shooting community
- Due to the limitations of the shared building we use for training, we require specialised electronic targets which can be packed away easily after each session. These targets also have an environmental benefit in that they save the use of an estimated 30,000 thousand paper targets per annum. They also makes it much easier for shooters with a disability and offer more fun in the sport; particularly appealing to juniors entering the sport. We already have some of these targets, but require more to allow an increased numbers of shooters to attend each session.
- Target shooting is a very technical sport and requires coaching at all levels. We will use the funds raised for the training of several new coaches and developing our existing coaches to a more advanced level - including specialist knowledge on adapted disciplines for older shooters and those with disabilities.
- Shooting equipment can be expensive, and to continue to attract new members; particularly younger ones and the less-affluent, we need funding to develop our inventory of equipment which is loaned out to junior members who could not otherwise afford.
- Finally, should funds allow, we wish to be able to purchase a defibrillator. We would situate and purpose this so that it can be used for the benefit of all the different groups and organisations who use the community building.
We really believe in this project and in the positive impact it will have on the local community, the broader community of Norfolk – and beyond!
- The most significant impact will be on the wider community of Norfolk and the shooting community across East Anglia and beyond. Successful completion of the project will enable us to take a role in keeping this Olympic and Paralympic sport alive here, and in assisting other regions through providing competitions to attend.
- The project will help us develop closer links with neighbouring regions to offer specialist coaching days and sessions to develop the sport as a whole. It will also allow us to offer further community open days and come and try it sessions to the local community and to link to health referral pathways.
- Norfolk is particularly poorly served when it comes to ten-metre target shooting facilities. Without the expansion that the funding will allow, we will find ourselves turning potential participants away; and there are very few alternatives for them to turn to.
Children & young people:
- In particular, we look to have an impact on the poor activity levels amongst children and young people in Norfolk. We have a high conversion rate with the majority of the young people who visit our club going on to become members and regular shooters. This occurs in an environment with a proven record where young people from all socio-economic backgrounds can develop and thrive.
- By offering an alternative sport to the mainstream ones, then we know that some young people will become regular participants in the sport of target shooting. Without the additional target systems that we are hoping to purchase, then this aim will be unachievable.
Wellbeing:
- We also envisage that by increasing our capacity and membership, then we will assist in improving the mental wellbeing and reducing social isolation in our local population. This by way of participating in a highly rewarding enjoyable sport where individuals will become part of a welcoming community.
- For some of our older members we are the only activity attended in the week and the community feel is really important in reducing isolation.
“I have a really hectic and stressful working and family life that I can sometimes struggle with. NCTC provides such a great outlet for this stress. The friendship and opportunity to focus totally on something else; it has become really important for me”. NCTC member
We are already a fantastic and resourceful club providing a great experience to a diverse membership from all across Norfolk. We want to grow and get even better. This project is our opportunity to do this. Please, help us in any way you can. Every little bit helps, and remember, that every penny you donate guarantees us additional funding from our friends at Sport England. Thank you!
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!