Archery Event Could Bring Over 10,000 People To Dover

More than 10,000 people could be heading for Dover next year when the Archery World Cup and European Grand Prix is held in the area.

Tom Wenham, from Sportworks UK Ltd, said that around 450 archers were expected to take part, bringing with them another 1,000 back-up team, supporters, families and friends, and that the event could attract up to 10,000 spectators.

The economic benefit to the area could be more than £1 million.

The Dover event, being staged at the Duke of York's Royal Military School from 31 July to 4 August, will be the fourth in the series of World Cup events held next summer, but the organisers are hoping they can persuade the competitors to come to this area direct from Leipzig where they will be taking part in another major tournament two weeks before the Dover event.

This will mean an extra economic boost for the area.

Mr Wenham said there would be other benefits for the town, too.

"We will be working with Kent County Council in the schools and other groups, raising the profile of archery as a sport, and when it is over, the equipment will be left here, and volunteers will have been trained in archery skills," he said.

"It will promote Dover as a tourist destination, and Kent as a training venue for the Olympics. We hope sportsmen will come to the area in the next few years, leading up to 2012, to see the facilities that are available.

"Our role is to pull people together and, working as a partnership, make this event successful."

An approach has already been made to the Royal family, and the Princess Royal is being invited to attend, at least on Finals Day.

The BBC has confirmed its interest in providing television coverage.

The accommodation and transport side of the organisation is being contracted out to another specialist company.

"The commitment from local and regional partners is already obvious," said Mr Wenham.

Locally, the organisers will be looking for volunteers - particularly young people - to become involved, for promotional activities, and sponsorship with small local companies as well as major big businesses.

"Our aim is to deliver a world-class archery event with significant and measurable benefits for Dover and the South East."

This event is the realisation of a dream for local hotelier Mike McFarnell and former Mayor Cllr Ken Tranter who first came up with the idea of trying to attract an international archery tournament for Dover.

"We hope they will come back year after year to 2015 and make it a Centre of Excellence for Archery," said Cllr Tranter.

Mr McFarnell, who also organises the Dover Pageant, said: "This is a tremendous opportunity for us, and I just want us to grasp it and take it on."