Last week, British Fencing attended the 2024 Youth Sport Trust (YST) Conference, representing the We Are Forging Futures brand in collaboration with our Official Resilience Partner, Inspiring Learning.
Following the success of last year’s YST Conference, We Are Forging Futures – BF’s brand representing our work in the education sector – once again took part in the event, held this year on Wednesday 20th March. The 2024 YST Conference centred on how “play can emerge as powerful catalysts for change, creating an event at the forefront of educational transformation”.
Particular focus was on the attainment gap, affecting those in poverty or underserved community, and how activity networks can provide solutions to this problem. The event featured workshops, as well as talks from keynote speakers Ken E. Nwadike Jr and Jon Alexander.
Engaging the disengaged is one of the central aims of We Are Forging Futures. With few children having tried fencing before, it serves as an equal playing field, providing the opportunity for those disinterested in sport to find an activity that suits them.
Personal development themes are integral to our programmes, with particular emphasis on self-efficacy and resilience; we also took part in networking with other representatives, teachers, delegates and policy makers, advocating fencing as an agent of change.
We attended with leading outdoor education group Inspiring Learning, who were one of the Supporting Sponsors at the event. Since January this year, Inspiring Learning has been our Official Resilience Partner, delivering fencing sessions designed specifically to build resilience among young people. These fencing sessions are to be delivered at Inspiring Learning’s 11 Kingswood centres around the UK, reaching thousands of students on residential courses throughout the year.
Inspiring Learning are also responsible for hosting and training BF coaches in the new lesson format. The new programme will be delivered within our We Are Forging Futures framework.
We Are Forging Futures harnesses the exciting world of swordplay as part of a distinctive journey to help more young people engage in lifelong learning. To find out how to bring our programmes to your school or community, visit our website or contact our National Partnerships & Engagement Manager Harry Brown for more info.
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