Growing the Grassroots of Target Shooting in Scotland

Scottish Target Shooting is making four interconnected funding applications to build a sport that is more accessible, better coached, and more clearly structured — from first visit at a local club through to competing on an international level.

Our clubs are the heartbeat of what we do. Everything in this investment plan is designed to make those clubs stronger, better supported, and more connected to each other and to the national sport.

What we are trying to achieve

Our Ambition

These four applications represent a single, coherent ambition: to make target shooting in Scotland a sport with a strong grassroots base, excellent coach education, and a visible, accessible and clear pathway to the top.

Our investment in Scottish target shooting

The Four Application

Each application targets a distinct layer of the sport — but all four are designed to work together, sharing infrastructure, people, and purpose.

Summer of Sport Fund

Events & Infrastructure

STS is investing in infrastructure around the recurring British Schools annual event with a focus on young people that has a Scottish competition engagement point with the chance to progress to a British final. This is the foundation for building a consistent infrastructure, growing volunteer capacity, building relationships with schools to get more young people in the sport and creating a visible, exciting showcase for the sport. Equipment purchased through this fund is designed to be reused by Regional Support Groups, meaning every pound invested goes further.

Key Outcomes

• Annual Scottish rifle and pistol event with a British Finals pathway

• Reusable equipment across regional activity

• Volunteer and officiating development

• Visible platform to attract new participants

Club Support Fund

Regional Delivery

Grassroots sport lives and dies at club level. STS is creating Regional Support Groups — formal structures that brings clubs in the same area together to share resources, deliver development activity, provide athletes of all levels with a development pathway and ensure local access to support, coach development and pathways. These regional vehicles will be the engine of growth across Scotland, identifying talent, improving coach education at club level, and connecting local clubs to the wider national strategy.

Key Outcomes

• Regional Support Groups piloted established across specific areas in Scotland

• Improved coach education at local level

• Stronger talent identification pathways

• Shared resources and better entry points to the sport

Pathways Fund

Athlete & Coach Development

Having a clear pathway from a first visit to a club all the way through to elite competition is critical to retaining athletes and coaches in the sport. STS is investing in pathway coordination and dedicated support to map out those journeys, remove the barriers that cause talented athletes to drop out, and ensure that every athlete and coach in Scotland knows what their next step looks like. This fund connects directly to our regional structure and our national drive to engage more with young people.

Key Outcomes

• Clear athlete pathway from grassroots to performance

• Dedicated pathway coordination role

• Reduced dropout at key transition points due to more informed decisions and better athlete welfare

• Integrated talent ID from club to national level

Growth & Innovation Fund

Education & New Audiences
Long-term growth in target shooting requires a national approach to education and new market development. A dedicated national education lead will build formal and informal coaching networks, create links to British performance support, and develop education opportunities that help coaches at every level. Alongside this, STS is pursuing a national strategy universities, schools, and community settings to bring in the next generation of participants, while also working with Scottish Athletics to support the growth of Target Sprint in pilot regions.

Key Outcomes

• National coaching education lead in post

• Formal and informal coaching networks across Scotland

• Drive for schools and universities

• Developing Target Sprint in pilot regions in partnership with Scottish Athletics

Four funds. One vision.

One Joined-Up Strategy

These are not four separate bids. They are four components that are joined together by the STS upcoming strategic plan, with each application reinforcing the others.

The Summer of Sport fund builds the infrastructure and events that create Talent ID opportunities. The Pathways fund ensures that the athletes and coaches identified through all of this activity have a clear, supported journey to follow. The Club Support fund creates the regional structures that deliver events and training locally and puts reusable equipment into the hands of clubs as well as support to helps clubs grow. The Growth & Innovation fund trains the coaches who deliver in those clubs, building networks that connect grassroots activity to British performance support.

What this means for you

The Benefit

Whether you are a club, a coach, or an athlete, these investments are designed to make a real difference to your experience of the sport, no matter what level you shoot at.

Building a sport that works for everyone in Scotland

Scottish Target Shooting's ambition is straightforward: more people shooting, better supported by more capable coaches, with a clear and exciting journey from their first visit to a club all the way to the top of the sport. These four applications are how we get there.