Rugeley Rifle Club celebrated the past year’s achievements at their annual prize-giving on Friday night, with trophies presented by Councillor Sarah Elsom DL. The highlight of the evening was the surprise presentation of the NSRA Silver Award to Club Chairman Martyn Buttery. Martyn has long served on committee roles in the Club, as well as sitting on the Rifle Committee at the NSRA. He was instrumental in bringing the British Shooting School’s Shooting Championship Finals to Chase Leisure Centre – an event which has relied heavily on volunteers from Rugeley serving as range staff. In addition to prizes and trophies for shooting achievements, a number of discretionary awards were made. Megan Bamsey won the Captain’s Prize for achievements over the past year, including selection to represent GB at the 2023 ISSF Junior World Cup, and the Secretary’s Award to Russell Barlow for his outstanding support instructing and coaching within the club.
A £500 cheque was also presented to Rugeley and District Community First Responders, one of the club’s chosen charities. RADCFR maintain the defibrillator hosted on the outside of the club. This lifesaving piece of equipment was installed in 2019. Since then it has been activated six times, and used at least twice.
Trophies
- Short Range Champion – Richard Hemingway
- 50metre Frostbite Champion (Winter) – Martyn Buttery
- 50M/ISSF Champion – Richard Hemingway
- Dewar Champion – Craig Dower
- 10M Air Pistol Champion – Paul Watkiss
- 10M Air Rifle Champion – Ryan Williams
- Benchrest Champion – Paul Watkiss
- “Through the Ranges” Champion – Zoltan Papp
- “Through the Ranges” Runner-Up – Dave Glover
- “Through the Ranges” Handicap Champion – Lee Featherstone
Awards
- Junior Short Range Trophy – George Robinson
- Junior Long Range Trophy – Alex Buttery
- Best Potential (Junior) – Izzy Clark
- Best Potential (Senior) – John Passey
- Best Improver – Lee Featherstone
- Secretary’s Award – Russell Barlow
Captain’s Award Nominees
Megan Bamsey (Winner)
- Represented GB at 2023 ISSF Junior World Cup
- 2024 British Open Air Gun Championships – Bronze, Senior Women’s Air Rifle
- 2023/24 British Shooting Air Series Grand Finalist
- 2023 Welsh Air Gun Championships – Silver, Junior Women’s Air Rifle
Richard Hemingway
- 2023 Finalist – Earl Roberts (British Prone) Championship
- Represented Wales – 2023 Bisley Home Nations Match
- 2023 Welsh 50Metre Champion
- 2023 Staffordshire County Long Range Champion
Pavelas Voitiukevicius
Kiral Voitiukevicius
Zoe Perkin
- Fifth in final of NISC Open
Pippa Watterson
- Finalist, British Shooting Schools Championship
- Fourth in final of NISC Open, won Class C