National Shooting Week starts May 3rd

Around 200 public open days are being organised nationally, so people can try shooting for the first time in this special Olympic year.

Anyone can try one of the most popular participation sports in a safe and friendly environment.

Shooting is one of the most inclusive Olympic and Paralympic sports, where gender, age and disability are no barriers to success.

National Shooting Week is a government-backed initiative and organised by the Countryside Alliance on behalf of the British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC), the umbrella body for shooting sports.

Gerry Sutcliffe, minister for sport, said: “UK teams are terrific at winning international medals for shooting, so I welcome National Shooting Week as a responsible initiative to promote the sport ahead of Beijing 2008 and London 2012.”

The week is aimed at people who have never experienced target shooting before.

Complete beginners who would like to give it a shot can find out where their nearest shooting event is during the week by going to www.nationalshootingweek.co.uk