British Fencing and the Home Countries Announce New Membership Scheme

British Fencing and the Home Country Fencing Associations today announced new membership arrangements which will be launched on 15^th February 2016.

The new membership scheme, aims to offer a range of benefits and services to current fencers, those new to the sport and those supporting fencing, by offering a range of membership categories and associated benefits.

These new categories create a platform which will allow British Fencing and the Home Countries to deliver more targeted services and benefits to their members while also ensuring a sustainable future for the sport.

The scheme was developed following a consultation process with existing and potential members, and a review of current best practice within the sports sector.

The key aims of the scheme are to develop and support recreational activities within fencing, as well as meeting the needs of competitive fencers.

After 14 years of no changes, we have also reviewed our pricing structure.  The resulting increase of between £2 & £14 goes some way to cover the inflationary increase in the costs to British Fencing and the Home Countries of delivering existing membership services, while ensuring that the changes keep membership affordable for participants at every level.

British Fencing recognises that increasing the cost of membership could create a barrier for some younger and/or disadvantaged participants in fencing.  To address this risk, it has set aside some grant funding to assist members of the fencing community for whom the price increases represent a significant barrier to participation in fencing.

“The introduction of this new membership scheme will create a more sustainable future for fencing and encourage growth through more diverse choices of membership,” said David Rees, Chair, Welsh Fencing.

“This new membership scheme provides a sound structure for our existing members whilst bringing clarity to those who are new to our sport.  The scheme is an important step in providing a solid foundation for future growth in our sport,” said Marie Liston, President England Fencing

“Given the current economic climate it is essential that any membership scheme reflects the changing needs of its diverse membership whilst still representing value for money.  We believe that this new scheme meets those requirements and allows us to deliver a sustainable future for the sport,” commented Peter Hazlett, Managing Director, Northern Ireland Fencing.

“The creation of a low-cost category for beginners and the recognition of recreational fencers in the membership system is vital if we are to grow our membership base and create a successful future for our sport.  Understanding the needs of the broader community enables both BF and HCs to better support growth in the sport,” said, Roy Clarke, CEO of Scottish Fencing.

Georgina Usher, CEO, British Fencing added; “There is much work to be done to ensure the sustainability of our sport and the membership scheme is one important aspect of this.  In the meantime British Fencing and the Home Countries will continue to work to deliver value for money services and benefits to all our members and partners.” 

For more details on the New Membership Scheme please visit http://www.britishfencing.com/membership/new_membership_scheme/

Grant applications must be requested and submitted through affiliated clubs.  For more information, club secretaries should contact [email protected]

If you have any questions or require any clarification please contact h[email protected].