Rimaya: A project expanding access and inclusivity across Great Britain

Archery is widely known as one of the Olympic Games’ 32 sports and one of 22 sports featured in the Paralympics. It has been part of both events for over a century – appearing in the Olympic Games since 1900 (with a 52-year absence) and in the Paralympics since 1960. This long history has made archery a key element of elite sport, attracting millions of viewers worldwide every four years.

But archery is not just limited to international competitions; it is also a sport with deep cultural and historical significance across many regions. In Great Britain, a project called Rimaya is working to make the sport more accessible and inclusive.

Originally launched in 2018, the initiative has evolved into a broader participation programme designed to reach underrepresented groups from various communities and enable them to access archery, regardless of ethnicity or faith, and to bridge the gap in sports participation.

Named after the Arabic word for archery, it initially focused on building clubs within faith schools in the West Midlands area, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative expanded across Britain.

“The demographic of our members has been the same for many years,” said Gayle Pink, head of participation in Archery GB, the national sport federation, who took over the project in 2020. “So it’s to try and target a different audience and improve inequalities in sport in general.”

“I think it just helps ensure the sustainability of the sport, targeting different communities and getting different people involved in the sport.”

The success of the programme expanded nationally, and Rimaya now operates in 21 clubs across Britain, working to make archery more inclusive and sustainable.

While the feat has been impressive since Pink took the reins, she says keeping these partnerships alive is the next hardest thing.

“I would say sort of the ongoing barrier for project Rimaya is sustainability of clubs. We have worked with a few partners that have delivered archery for a couple of years and then dropped off.” 

“One of our future ambitions is to really make sure that these new organisations are sustainable.”

Initial funding for the project came from a successful grant application to Sports Aid, and it is currently supported by Sport England. In 2022, Archery GB received additional funding from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games legacy fund, which allowed for the appointment of Jamila Bi as the project coordinator – a position that Pink calls a “game changer”.

Bi left a 26 years’ experience of healthcare work behind to pursue a career in archery, something she had only just considered doing before COVID-19. 

“I was in lockdown and started to think about what I know about me as a person,” explained the former dental radiographer. “I kind of lost what I enjoy or what I would like to enjoy.” 

“Being outdoors was something that I love, to go out, explore and just being in nature, and archery was also on my list.”

One item Jamila has firmly ticked it off her list, as under her leadership, more than 3000 individuals have been introduced to archery through school programmes, community events and other outreach efforts.

Her role also includes delivering coaching courses and increasing the number of coaches and volunteers from ethnically diverse communities.

Jamila’s dedication has led to the establishment of Crescent Archers, that offers women-only sessions – something she felt was missing when she first got involved with archery – aiming at creating a comfortable environment for all participants.

“The first thing I said was, ‘I have got to make an environment where universally people can access the sport’. 

Jamila’s vision is that archery should be accessible to all, with a particular focus on on women and girls, encouraging them to take up the sport.

“It was to inspire them to create an environment where everybody feels comfortable regardless of age, ability or background.”

Her groundbreaking work has already been recognised, with Crescent Archers winning the Sporting Initiative of the Year at the 2024 Birmingham Awards, Rimaya receiving a Highly Commended award at the 2024 British Muslim Awards and Bi claiming the city community award at Sport Birmingham’s 2024 Community Celebration.

Archery holds cultural and spiritual significance in various regions, particularly in South Asia, where ancient techniques like the thumb draw and horseback archery are still practiced. These traditions are valued for their physical fitness, wellbeing and discipline.

Notably, archery is one of the five sports mentioned in the Quran.

The success of the Rimaya project has increased participation in archery across diverse backgrounds, reconnecting people with its cultural and historical roots.

Jamila, herself a Muslim, has been pivotal in this effort, creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable regardless of age, ability or background.

The foundation laid by Bi, Pink and others has set the stage to also address similar participation issues for minorities overseas.

“The foundation is there,” concluded Jamila, who is also working on creating a syllabus and discipline recognition for the thumb draw technique in Archery GB. “We want everyone to be part of this great initiative.”

“We know the benefits of it, so my vision is to make sure that everybody is aware of it globally and we can reach out on a global scale, bringing partnerships and building communities across the globe.”

As the project continues to grow, Archery GB hopes it will eventually expand its push for diverse participation into other ethnic minority groups worldwide, championing inclusion in the ever-growing and welcoming archery community.

Images courtesy of Crescent Archers and Archery GB.