The future of Welsh target shooting is exciting & as the national body for target shooting in Wales, we want you to know all about the strategic plan to achieve the vision of ‘A thriving sport with a supportive landscape from first contact, to performance & beyond.’
You can read the full strategic plan & other relevant information in English or Welsh using the link below, read on here to see the key information & background on what this all means.
What is a strategic plan & why have one?
A strategy in our context is a long-term plan to achieve specific objectives even in the face of an uncertain future. Our strategic plan sets out the vision (what do we want to see/have?) we have developed for Welsh target shooting, defines our purposes (why are we here?), & describes what we aim to achieve (do what by when?). This is not a micro-managed programme of work, nor some nebulous ideas that sound nice, this is the handrail that will guide all the activities we do.
Without a strategic plan national bodies can be drawn into using precious resources without fully addressing the needs of their stakeholders. With a strategic plan, a golden thread links all the actions & behaviours back to an overarching outcome. Efficiently directing effort & attention, & facilitating decision making towards the desired outcome are just some of the benefits to following a carefully developed strategic plan. To realise the vision, the following missions (purposes) & objectives (achievements) are what WTSF staff & volunteers are working towards
How was the ‘Future of Welsh Target Shooting’ strategic plan developed?
The short answer is with time, patience, thought, discussion, consultation, & scrutiny. The graphic below, taken from our full document, shows how we formulated the vision, defined our missions, & set out our objectives.
So, what does it all mean?
A lot of sweat & a few tears went into defining & revising the new WTSF strategic plan, this is because each sentence has meaning & points towards things that you will see in the future. There’s no simple way to fully explain all of this, but the table below lines up the elements of our strategic plan, what the words mean, & what you’ll see in the future.
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Element |
Meaning |
Look out for… |
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Vision: A thriving sport with a supportive landscape from first contact to performance & beyond. |
‘A thriving sport’ means a growing network of interactive participants representing; shooters, instructors, coaches, clubs, facilities, associations, & the WTSF. These participants interact towards; more people shooting targets, developing their skills & competing; more people coaching, leading, & developing those skills; more places to shoot targets & enhancing the quality of existing facilities. ‘a supportive landscape’ means that participatory & developmental opportunities for the participants are promoted & provided (where appropriate). This also means that the tone, atmosphere, & sentiment of WTSF hosted or supported events should be conducive to a positive experience for all involved. ‘from first contact to performance & beyond.’ means that the participants experience a supportive landscape from their first encounters with shooting in Wales, throughout their personal development & including any changes to their role(s) within the network, & have opportunities to feedback their learning & experiences into the network should they cease to participate. This aspect of the vision seeks to retain & recycle knowledge, experiences, & expertise to benefit all Welsh target shooting stakeholders. |
All the activities below to fulfil the missions. |
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Mission 1: Promote year on year growth of target shooting participation in Wales. |
A purpose of the WTSF is to promote target shooting in Wales with the aim to encourage & support more Welsh people each year to shoot targets recreationally & competitively. |
The WTSF organising events for Welsh people to try target shooting for the first time, & supporting similar events run by other organisations (e.g., member associations). Actions & initiatives to retain target shooting participants, for example: promoting existing clubs & facilities, & helping new clubs to form. |
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Mission 2: Promote good governance & lead by example. |
A purpose of the WTSF is to lead Welsh target shooting in a professional manner. This involves complying with legal & ethical obligations, engaging with stakeholders, acting with integrity, & delivering a value-for-money strategy which leads to sustainable development of the sport. By working in a professional manner, the WTSF will make target shooting in Wales more attractive to potential partners, sponsors, & media organisations. |
The WTSF adopting & applying the Governance & Leadership Framework for Wales, & by implementing a Governance Improvement Plan with our partners such as Sport Wales. |
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Mission 3: Advocate for quality target shooting facilities. |
A purpose of the WTSF is to help Welsh target shooting participants access facilities that are safe & conducive to recreation, skills development, & competitive performances. |
The WTSF promoting existing facilities, & aiding grant applications for upgrades or new facilities. The WTSF maintaining equipment to a high standard & encouraging others in the network to do the same. |
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Mission 4: Promote development opportunities for all roles & levels. |
A purpose of the WTSF is to encourage learning, growth, & enrichment for all participants in the Welsh shooting network by providing &/or promoting events, resources, & knowledge. |
The WTSF hosting events, vetting & promoting events hosted by other bodies, & by sharing information that may stimulate growth for anyone in the network. Discipline specific pathways from recreation to international success with suggested developmental aims & competencies. |
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Mission 5: Maintain Wales as the most successful Commonwealth target shooting nation by population. |
A purpose of the WTSF is to identify, support, select, & facilitate talented Welsh target shooters to win Commonwealth Games medals. |
The WTSF nurturing talented athletes with a long-term view of individual development & competitive success. Also, selecting athletes to compete for Wales via a clear & fair selection process. |
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Mission 6: Increase the number of Welsh Target Shooting athletes capable of representing Great Britain. |
A purpose of the WTSF is to support Wales’ best shooters to compete for Great Britain at ISSF World Cups & Olympic Games. This necessarily involves supporting Welsh athletes on to British Shooting World Class & providing sport science & medicine services where necessary. |
The WTSF supporting Welsh talent as explained above, but also advocating for Welsh athletes within the Home Nations network & internationally with British Shooting. |
What do you think? Want to get in touch? Not sure how this applies to your club or discipline?
Get in touch with us! If you have questions about this strategic plan, you can get in touch with Mike Gross ([email protected]) who led the development of the ‘Future of Welsh Target Shooting’ strategic plan.
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Welsh 