Severn Valley Yeoman Foresters - Fire Devastation

Hello, my name is Darren Wilkins and I am the secretary of a local archery club called Severn Valley Yeoman Foresters (SVYF). We are based in Worcestershire.

 

SVYF is one of the oldest clubs in the Country and has a proud history of hosting open shoots, often enjoyed by over 150 visiting archers each shoot. Our open shoots are always a popular choice by many archers when choosing what shoots to attend throughout the year.

 

On the afternoon of Monday 18th April 2022, we suffered a devastating fire that ripped through our clubhouse, all our outbuildings, storage and toilets. We lost everything! The clubhouse, tools, targets, the list is endless but more importantly HISTORY! The clubhouse was an old cricket pavilion that was moved into the wood in the late 1960s. Since then it had gone through several extensions and transformations and had been enjoyed not just by members, but by thousands of visiting archers over the years. It was really a heart-wrenching moment to be standing there on that afternoon with other committee members staring and a pile of ash and twisted metal being doused by the fire service.

 

Although the cause of the fire will never be known, the fact that we had no utilities would suggest the fire was started deliberately but will never be proven so we have to accept what happened and move on - rebuild and come back bigger and better.

 

Any funds raised with help with the replacement clubhouse, purchasing new tools, targets and equipment that we have built up over the years. Any funds that are raised and not used will be donated to the Fire Service.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and any donation you are able to make.