NSRA moots membership fee plan

The National Smallbore Rifle Association has suggested a tariff for all shooters from affiliated clubs – and explains how the sport will benefit

The NSRA has suggested charging members an individual fee instead of the tariff levied on their club.

Many airgun-only clubs are affiliated to the NSRA in order to take advantage of its insurance cover. As of 2019, there were some 982 clubs or organisations affiliated and almost 5,000 individual members.

Clubs affiliated to the NSRA pay the organisation between £130 and £300 depending on the number of members. Individuals can join for about £80 per year. Membership benefits include insurance and the ability to enter competitions run by the NSRA.

The NSRA also publishes rules and provides targets used in its competitions. There are also training programmes for instructors, coaches and county coaches.

The NSRA believes there are over 50,000 club members who do not directly pay into the NSRA, and has presented a plan which could make every member of an affiliated club pay about £35 a year.

For this they would get third party insurance and equipment cover to about £1,000. They could also pay extra for a higher level of membership, offering greater benefits and increased insurance.

In return for this increase in income for the NSRA, the organisation would provide better facilities for its members in areas such as coaching and development, improved junior development, an increase in political representation and funding of regional projects, plus bigger and better national meetings and competitions.

It’s not a new idea, as several UK sports already insist that their club members join the relevant national body, and it works in other countries too.

In Germany, anyone with a firearms licence must join the German equivalent of the National Rifle Association, which has invested in regional state-of-the-art ranges and is a powerful political body protecting shooters’ rights.

The NSRA is urging club shooters to discuss the plan with other members and raise it with their committee, then provide feedback via their local shooting council members or county bodies. The NSRA is also planning a series of roadshows to communicate the plan and take feedback.