Ed Vickers attended the Benchrest UK National Open at Portishead Shooting Club in Somerset this weekend, where he faced off against some of the UK’s top Benchrest shooters, including Trevor Eling – who recently ran a workshop at Rugeley. Shooting at 50metres, the matches were shot to International WRABF rather than NSRA rules, allowing the use of a rear rest under the butt of the rifle, in addition to the front rest.
In the “Light” Air Rifle (<10.5lb) event on Saturday, Ed fought tricky conditions to finish 38th of 40. On Sunday, Ed rallied in the “Heavy” Air Rifle (<15lb) to place 14th/35, edging Trevor into 15th place by three points!
Thankyou to Ian Dudson CBE, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire for his kind words on the announcement of the club’s receipt of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. We very much look forward to the formal presentation with the Lord Lieutenant in the New Year.
With great pleasure and excitement, the Committee can announce that Rugeley Rifle Club has been honoured with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Gazetted this morning, the King’s Award is the highest honour a voluntary group can receive in the UK, equivalent to an MBE. Rugeley is the first shooting sports club to ever receive this award.
Volunteering is at our heart
This award is a testament to all our volunteers, including the property team, coaches and administrators; but in particular recognises the work the club has done outside it’s own membership and the positive impact it has had on the wider local community. Over the past 10 years the club has worked with the Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services and Vysions Youth Service of Brereton, providing summer camps for local young people in association with Burntwood Target Sprint. Participants have completed volunteer work at the club including a mural on the outside of the range, and in return learned to shoot Olympic Air Rifle and Air Pistol.
Defibrillator unveiled 2019Vysions paint a mural at RugeleyYoung volunteers enjoy learning air pistol
Rugeley volunteers support British Shooting Schools Championship
Alongside these major events, the club has enjoyed hosting guest nights for diverse community groups, running an air rifle range at Brereton Carnival and serving as a venue for local groups including Viking re-enactors and 4×4 response.
Sporting Achievements
In competition, the club’s Air Rifle A-Team won Division 1 of the National League three consecutive years from 2018-2020, and again in 2022. Members have represented England, Wales and Great Britain, with recent sporting highlights including:
Rugeley Rifle Club is just one of 262 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The work of these organisations reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to benefit their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and, following his accession, His Majesty The King emphasised his desire to continue the Award.
Representatives from the club will receive the award crystal and certificate from Ian Dudson, Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire later this year. In addition, two volunteers from Rugeley Rifle Club will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in summer 2025, along with other recipients of this year’s Award.
Club Chairman Martyn Buttery said: “To be nominated for such a prestigious award as The Kings Award for Voluntary Service is an honour in itself but to actually win is such an incredible achievement. It goes to show what can be done and achieved with a positive attitude.“
Club President Olivia Lyons said: “I am was absolutely delighted to hear that Rugeley Rifle Club had been awarded a King’s Award, it is a real testament to the Club’s Committee and the volunteers who work tirelessly to make it such a success. The Club is a real asset and hive of activity within our local community, supporting a number of local voluntary groups, hosting youth programs and nurturing the talent of the many Club members. The award is such a fantastic achievement, which will be shared and celebrated with our whole community.”
On Saturday 9th November Rugeley Rifle Club held its first ever 1-day Benchrest Workshop, presented by Trevor Eling from Driffield Rifle Club in East Yorkshire.
Trevor is a renowned International Benchrest shooter and has this year, successfully, competed for the UK BR teams in both Spain and Germany.
Trevor has been shooting BR since 2010 and has represented the UK BR teams over the last 14 years in the Czech Republic; Australia; South Africa and the USA.
The Workshop was attended by 9 of our Club members, with the youngest being 12 and the most senior member being in their mid 70’s.
The content, of the day, was designed by Trevor and he provided each participant with a welcome pack. This pack was filled with a variety of interesting and useful information, which included target samples. He clearly, presented an excellent balance of theory and practical information in a relaxed and comfortable manner.
Areas which he covered included:
● Benchrest Equipment
● Shooting Process
● Outdoor shooting
● National & International Shooting Federations
Following on from the Equipment and Shooting Processes, Trevor gave a demonstration of his experienced shooting skills and techniques.
Teams of 3 groups, then, put into practice, what they had learned and observed. Initially, this was in the indoor 25yds range and then, later repeated in the outdoor 50m range.
In addition to the NSRA 25yds shooting practice, we had the opportunity to try out a new electronic scoring system, which is currently under development by Eley with RRC support on our 25yds range.
The Workshop finished with a round of applause for Trevor from the group. I think it is fair to say that everyone really enjoyed the day and are all hoping for a return visit very soon. Trevor expressed how much he enjoyed meeting the group, how impressed he was with the club and the facilities that our property team have built up, and sharing his experience with an attentive squad of BR shooters eager to improve.
Shot over three days, athletes contest three matches – the Cardiff Grand Prix and AiroShoot Qualification are contested over Friday and Saturday in Senior and Junior classes, with the Welsh Open Championship contested on Sunday as one class. WIAC is part of the AiroShoot circuit, alongside the InterShoot match in the Netherlands, RIAC in Luxembourg and other matches in Scotland, Denmark and Belgium. As a result, it attracts international shooters in addition to the predominantly British entry.
Paul Watkiss placed 13th and 12th in his Air Pistol matches, finishing 21st in the Open Match with a series of very steady shoots.
Pippa Watterson placed 7th and 17th in her Junior AP matches, and 25th in the Welsh Open.
In the Air Rifle, Megan Bamsey placed 5th and 8th in her Senior matches, and 25th in the Open.
Izzy Ward placed 23rd and 24th in the Junior Women’s Air Rifle, and 22rd in the Open.
Bill Clark placed 16th and 15th in his Men’s Air Rifle events.
Fourteen young shooters took aim at Rugeley Rifle Club’s Young Guns competition this week. With two days of training over Wednesday and Thurday, final practice and competition took place on Friday. Shooting Air Rifle, Air Pistol and .22 Rifle, the young shooters worked through more than two and a half thousand air pellets, and a thousand rounds of .22 ammunition. The competition marks a continuing partnership with Vysions Youth Service.
Each discipline competition saw the top 3 shoot a final to establish medal placings. Medallists received a Rugeley Rifle Club patch, along with gold and silver medals and a patch for third. The Overall competition was a close-run fight, with only 27 points separating the top 5 shooters and a tie for the lead between Phoebe Haughton and James Hallam, which had to be broken on countback of Air Rifle scores, with James gracious in defeat. Connie O’Brien placed third, having had a mishap in the Air Rifle shoot which cost her as many as 17 points – enough to have put her in the lead overall.
Air Pistol
Air Rifle
Smallbore Rifle
Overall
1
James Hallam
Aiden Coghlan
Connie O’Brien
Phoebe Haughton
2
Phoebe Haughton
Phoebe Haughton
James Hallam
James Hallam
3
Joel Sherratt
Connie O’Brien
Phoebe Haughton
Bogdan Dubita
Congratulations to overall champion Phoebe, who wins a years free membership, along with free ammunition and targets.
Rugeley Rifle Club member Alex Buttery has gained a place on the Talented Athlete Scheme at Staffordshire University. Following in the footsteps of dad Martyn, Alex has developed at the club as a junior, representing the County at Junior level, before progressing to the senior inter-county team. He narrowly missed selection to the GB Drew Junior Team this year.
Aside from access to fitness suites, a place on Staffordshire’s TAS scheme gains Alex access to performance coaching for strength & conditioning as well as sport psychology, which will help him take his shooting to the next level.
Rugeley members represented at the NSRA’s National Smallbore Meeting this year, winning County and Home Country selections.
Six members shot the Weekend Aggregate, spanning Classes X to D.
Richard Hemingway – X, 20th
Alex Buttery – C, 21st
Ian Abbotts – C, 33rd
Liz Garner – C, 35th
Brian Parker – C, 43rd
Deb Truman – D, 20th
Martyn Buttery finished 42nd in the X-Class Grand Aggregate and represented Hampshire. Martyn won Silver with the County Sextette, and Bronze in the County 50Metre match.
Richard Hemingway was selected for Wales, placing third in the Home Countries International.
Richard and Liz both qualified for the Eley Postal Final, with Richard placing 17th in A, and Liz taking 3rd in E.
Paul Watkiss placed 9th in A-Class in the Benchrest Weekend Aggregate. John Passey placed 11th.
Richard Hemingway again led the charge, retaining his title as Staffordshire Long Range Champion, winning A-Class in the process. He also won the County 50Metre Championship.
Dave Glover won B-Class, was highest scoring Veteran and also earned the NSRA County Silver Medal – awarded to the highest scorer who hasn’t won it before.
Graham Delaney won C-Class and the R.W. De Nicolas Memorial Trophy for the top C, D or Junior shooter. Graham won D-Class last year. Vic Tyne was runner-up in C-Class and Helen Robinson placed sixth.
Paul Watkiss won D-Class.
Paul Watkiss receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.Vic Tyne receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.Richard Hemingway receives a trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.Dave Glover receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.Graham Delaney receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.
As part of Rugeley Rifle Club’s ongoing partnership with Rugeley and District Community First Responders, the club was delighted to have Club President Cllr Olivia Lyons unveil the new Emergency Bleed Control Kit mounted on the exterior of the club.
Available to the general public in an emergency, it is located next to the defibrillator, installed in 2019.
RADCFR volunteers with the new bleed kitClub Chair Martyn Buttery and Club President Councillor Olivia Lyons unveil the new bleed control kit at Rugeley Rifle Club.
