CLUB ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR BF CLUBS
The Club Digest covers all of the latest news and information for BF Clubs.
SWORDSEAT™
Designed with users in mind, the SwordSeat™ makes the joy of seated fencing accessible to all. Reducing the cost from many thousand pounds to a few hundred and making large bulky hunks of metal (that, to the surprise of many, are not allowed to move!) to something, low cost, DIY, adaptable, easy to transport and store.
The SwordSeat™ will be a great addition to your club, as along with opening opportunities to wheelchair using participants and those with short or long term injuries and medical conditions which prevent them from being able to lunge, it also works as a great piece of training equipment to focus on blade work and reaction speed, using classical Para Fencing techniques to increase the abilities of all your participants.
Follow the link to read more about the SwordSeat™ and watch a short video to see the SwordSeat™ in use and how easy it is to assemble and store.
If you would like to own or build the SwordSeat™ yourself, you can register your interest by following the link here.
BF COMMUNITY AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN
The BF Community Awards recognise some of the best clubs, coaches, fencers and volunteers for their contribution to fencing. Due it being an Olympic and Paralympic year, this awards period will cover the 1st September 2023 to the 7th September 2024 to recognise this.
The categories and awards for the 2023-24 Community Awards are:
- Performance Athlete of the Year
- Young Athlete of the Year (U20)
- GBR Coach of the Year
- Community Coach of the Year
- Outstanding Contribution by a Referee
- Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer
- Club of the Year
- University Club of the Year
- Viveca Abrahams Memorial Community Award
BF members (all membership types) can nominate members of the community via the online nomination form. All information, including the criteria for this year’s awards can be found here: BF Community Awards – British Fencing.
HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME LAST YEARS WINNERS
COMMUNITY COACH OF THE YEAR – ROBINA BEGUM (BINNI)
After winning Community Coach of the Year, Binni said “Being involved in Muslim Girls Fence has opened up fencing to women of all races, religious backgrounds and disabilities. This is where students are heard, where physical wellbeing has no criteria. This is where every student feels accepted, coming together to share a common passion for fencing.”
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – ANDREW COURTNEY
After winning Volunteer of the Year, Andrew said “Wow I am touched, although I only really accept this award on behalf of all the volunteers that work with such passion and love for the sport.”
CLUB OF THE YEAR – PAUL DAVIS FENCING ACADEMY
After winning Club of the Year, Paul Davis said “We are truly humbled by this recognition and will continue to strive for excellence in everything we do. Thank you for this special honour. This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our coaches, athletes, and support staff who have poured their hearts into making our Academy a vibrant and welcoming place for fencers of all levels. We are immensely proud of our community and the positive impact it has had on the sport.”
Do you know a coach who has had a positive impact on you and your fencing community?
Do you know a volunteer who has shown great commitment and provides invaluable support to a club and British Fencing?
Is your club committed to providing an inclusive space and offer opportunities for all to take part in fencing in their local community?
Nominations close at midnight on 12th January 2025. To nominate someone you think deserves to win, follow the link here.
COMMUNITY CLUB GRANTS – SUPPORTING UKRAINIAN FENCERS
The BF Charitable Fund is offering grants to community clubs who are continuing to support members of the Ukrainian fencing community based in the UK.
Applications closing date: 31st January 2025.
For more information on how to apply, follow the link to our website here.
CLUB MANAGEMENT
Running a club can be a very challenging job. It requires you have a committee of people ensuring you have club policy and procedure in place whilst ensuring the club experience is positive for old and new members. Good club management underpins every positive, welcoming and vibrant fencing club. Below you will find some supporting materials to help your club on its way.
CLUB STRUCTURE
We recognise a large number of fencing clubs are run by teams of volunteers that give up their ‘free’ time to promote participation in the sport. Getting your club structure right is key to ensuring you manage risk and protect your members and volunteers.
There are four main types of structures that your club can adopt. It is important to choose the best one for your club as each one has different legal implications and one may be better suited for you to help with the future development of your club. Follow the link to our Club Structures page to find out more.
CLUB COMMITTEE
A Club is only as good as the team that runs it. Having the correct people in place with the right skill set to support the running of your club is vital to its long-term success.
Your committee needs to be from a diverse background, with numerous skills to drive the club forward. Getting it right can be difficult, here are some outlines of Roles and Responsibilities you may wish to start with.
CLUB CONSTITUTIONS
The club constitution outlines your clubs functions, sets out the purpose and rules of your sports club. It is the basic document which helps to ensure smooth and proper running of your affairs. Typically, the constitution will set out:
› The objectives for your club (e.g. what you want to do or provide for your members)
› The different forms of membership (e.g. adult, junior, social)
› The rules by which your club will operate.
› How the affairs of the club are to be managed (e.g. by officers and a committee).
› How the members control the club, usually through an annual general meeting.
› A dissolution clause should the club close.
Follow the link to see the template that we have created for clubs to edit to suit their requirements – Club Constitution Template. Please note this should only be used as guidance and Clubs may wish to add additional pieces of information.
CREATING INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
The following information is aimed at supporting a number of identified underrepresented groups in fencing:
WOMEN AND GIRLS
There are a number of resources to support those working in sport and that look at everything from allyship to supporting disabled teenage girls stay active. Women in Sport is a great place to start when looking at how your club can support female fencers.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
For some information on how your club can support new and existing fencers, follow the link to our Disability Fencing 101 page.
ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
BF are currently working with Sporting Equals to be able to share a range of resources that will support ethnically diverse communities getting involved with and staying in fencing.
TRANSGENDER PARTICIPANTS
We have some simple recommendations that will support your club in making sure transgender participants feel included and welcome, in a positive and non-judgmental space. Follow to link to read our guide here.
Follow the link here to our Creating Inclusive Environments page, where you can find links to resources and further information on how to engage positively.
UPCOMING COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS
To help create and share the best practice, British Fencing has created a series of online community discussion events, inviting members to raise issues, discuss topics and share ideas.
UPCOMING EVENTS, CLUB AND MEMBERSHIP SESSIONS
Thursday 30th January 2025 12pm & 6pm – Community Discussion Event – Club Admins – Using Sport80
Thursday 13th February 2025 12 & 6pm – Community Discussion Event – Event Organisers – Managing Regional Events (BYC Qualifiers and Regional Championships)
UPCOMING WELFARE OFFICER SESSIONS
Wednesday 15th January 2025 12pm & 6pm – Community Discussion Event – Welfare Officers
Sign-up will be sent out to all registered Club Welfare Officers on Sport:80
To see all dates in the Community Discussion calendar, follow the link here.
Please note that all sessions will be held through the online platform Zoom. Once you have registered for an event you will be sent the relevant login details and instructions on the day of the session. You do not need to have a Zoom account in order to access these sessions and there is no cost to take part.
Club and Welfare Officer sign up information is sent via email to all registered officers on the club’s profile.
UPCOMING COURSES
Are you looking to up skill your volunteers? Check out the upcoming courses BF have that are available to book now;
SAFEGUARD CORE COURSE
2025 Calendar is now open.
SAFEGUARD WELFARE OFFICER COURSE
2025 Calendar is now open.
To see all upcoming course, follow the link here.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Provisional dates announced for British Fencing Championships in 2025. Full details of individual events and formats will follow in due course.
The following Championship dates have been announced:
8th-9th Mar 2025 – British School Team Championships
26th-27th Apr 2025 – British Senior Championships (Individual and Club)
3rd-5th May 2025 – British Youth Championships
5th-6th Jul 2025 – British Open Championships
13th-14th Sep 2025 British Cadet and Junior Championships
Please note that changes to dates could occur. All calendars (FIE, EFC and BF) are subject to change, and in some cases, this may happen due to circumstances outside of BF’s control.
