Congratulations to the winners of the 2020-21 BF Community Awards. Nominations for the 2021-22 BF Awards will open on November 30th.
The BF Community Awards recognise some of the best clubs, coaches, fencers and volunteers for their contribution to fencing. The award period for this set of awards was elongated after disruption to the fencing calendar and covered the period of activity from April 1st 2020 to September 30th 2021.
The panel was made up of colleagues from London Youth and UK Sport.
Nominations for 2021-22 (covering activity in the period between Oct 1st 2021- 31st August 2022) will open on 30th November 2022.
A huge congratulations to all the winners, listed below:
Performance Athlete of the Year: Piers Gilliver
The panel said: “Piers’ Performance at Tokyo was outstanding. It’s clear he holds a great set of values and the support he shows his teammates is brilliant to see.”
Young Athlete of the Year (Junior/U20): Alec Brooke
The panel said: “Alec has performed really well on the International Circuit, whilst also ensuring he finds the time to support and encourage younger fencers in the sport.”
GBR Coach of the Year: Alex Beardmore
The panel said: “Alex is clearly driven around his continuous learning and personal development, as well as gaining experience from working with other sports, which is really positive to see.”
Community Coach of the Year: Robina Begum
The panel said: “Binni is breaking glass ceilings, introducing the sport to underrepresented groups in her local community and sounds exactly like what a Community Coach should be!”
Outstanding Contribution by a Referee: Luke Deamer
The panel said: “It’s apparent Luke has worked tirelessly to rewrite the training available to referees and cares both for grassroots community refereeing, as well as in the performance space.”
Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer: Cheryl Deamer
The panel said: “Cheryl is obviously the heart and soul of the club, doing great work throughout the pandemic, providing creative opportunities to fence in car parks and running socials for all involved in the club.”
Club of the Year: The Manchester Fencing Centre
The panel said: “It was good to see that the club was offering support and mentoring for their members, not just in a fencing context but talking about positive mental health and creating support for each other.”
Community Club of the Year: Crawley Sword Club
The panel said: “The club clearly recognises the importance of safeguarding and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, as well as demonstrating a positive experience for beginners with an impressive 80% retention rate.”
University Club of the Year: University of Leeds
The panel said: “The club has demonstrated that they clearly understand the importance of inclusion and provide a range of different fencing experiences for anyone wanting to participate in the sport, whether it’s focused on fun and social, or competitive opportunities, the club is providing opportunities for everyone.”
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