2025-26 ANNUAL REPORT - COACHING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
This article forms part of a series of reports which accompany the 2025-26 BF Annual Report.
Please note that all financial figures in this report are subject to final audited accounts.
In this report:
- Summary
- Overview (Metrics and KPIs)
- BF Learning Week 2025
- Coaching Development Partnerships
- Leadership Through Fencing
- Advanced Coaching Programme
- Sword in Hand CPD
- GBR Pathway Coach Development
Summary
Coach learning, development and education continues to be delivered through a combination of BF-led delivery through the Fencing Development Team.
The team delivered a coordinated course calendar comprising Introduction to Coaching Fencing (ITCF), Coaching Fencing Level 2 (CFL2) and Weapon Specific Level 3 (WS3) courses. In addition, Sword in Hand CPD Days were delivered across the country, providing a greater geographical spread (an objective for 2025-26).
In December 2025, Abhishek Sudhakar joined BF as Digital Learning Manager. Abhishek’s work marks the start of an exciting journey, developing a learning offer that is accessible and inclusive to a wide audience.
The BF Coach Register was improved throughout 2025-26, creating a cleaner interface for clubs and organisations to find registered coaches.
August 2025 saw the fourth BF Learning Week delivered with 29 sessions. This year’s theme was Disability Inclusion.
BF also enhanced its partnership with UK Coaching through the Co-Sport Initiative.
Overview (Metrics and KPIs)
Coaching Courses for BF Membership
| ITCF | CFL2 | WS3 | 25-26 Total | 24-25 Total | |
| Number of courses | 8 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14 |
| Number of Participants | 63 | 32 | 11 | 107 | 133 |
| % Female | 24 | 22 | 8 | 21% | 26% |
Although numbers were down in 2025-26, the coaching and workforce team delivered courses across the country, including: Stratford-upon-Avon, Bristol, Preston, Lincolnshire, Bradford, Shrewsbury, Norfolk and Epsom. Five courses (4x ITCF and 1x CFL2) were cancelled due to low numbers.
This highlighted the challenge of choosing suitable locations between areas where there are many members for course efficiency and areas where membership is lower. The new On Demand model provides an alternative delivery option. Two areas where we cancelled courses (Cardiff and North East) will be delivering using this model in 2026-27.
Five out of the eight members who were trained as part of the Fencing Development Team (January 2025) have now completed their sign-off training and are delivering courses. This has a positive impact on BF’s capacity for delivering Core Coach and initiatives in the social impact space and enables the team to deliver more local courses.
An example is the successful ITCF (January, 2026) and CFL2 (March 2026) courses in the Eastern Region, driven by newly qualified Fencing Development Team member Luke Hewerdine. Another example is Steph McMenemy, who as a manager of an activity centre, became a licensed partner and now delivers Core Coach courses.
An up-to-date, complete coaching journey for 2025-26, reflecting the new opportunities described above and course descriptions, can be viewed in the BF Coaching Journey and Qualifications Zone.
SafeGuard
Course completion (participants):
| SafeGuard Core | SafeGuard Welfare Officer | |
| 24-25 | 210 | 92 |
| 25-26 | 343 | 53 |
SafeGuard courses continued to be delivered throughout 2025-26, showing a significant increase. SafeGuard Core is an essential requirement for coaches to be on workforce registers, so this represents delivery to over 60% of the registered workforce.
Course descriptions can be seen here.
Refereeing
During 2025-26, as part of the England Fencing agreement, BF took on the administration of L1 & L2 referee courses.
- L1 – was not delivered
- L2 – 55 candidates
- L3 – 2 candidates
- L4 – 6 candidates
During 2025-26, a new Referee Advisory Group was established to advise, guide and support the BF executive team in developing refereeing. Four meetings have taken place, with a development plan framework taking shape to attract, support and nurture referees.
Part of this work will be a review of the current education pathway and plans to improve this.
Work has also begun on the referee pathway for wheelchair fencing.
Team Manager Training
Team managers play an important role in providing fencers with a safe and productive experience, both domestically and internationally.
- Domestic Team Manager Passes – 8
- International Team Manager Passes – 9
Team Manager training participant numbers have declined compared to last year, as the current number of trained TMs are meeting the needs of the community, rather than a reduced need for the role. As a result, formal international TM training courses decreased, with more flexible, on-demand training introduced to meet emerging needs.
Domestic training remains accessible through a self-directed format, ensuring continued development opportunities.
In 2026-27, we will be reviewing the TM training delivery model.
More information on Team Manager training here.
For all upcoming workforce courses, visit here.
BF Learning Week
BF’s fourth annual Learning Week was delivered to around 250 people across 29 sessions. This year’s focus was on disability inclusion, incorporating the introduction of SwordSeat, BF’s new World Class Programme and the Wheelchair Fencing European Championships in Cardiff.
Sessions included:
- Wheelchair Fencing Panel featuring Paralympians Piers Gilliver, Dimitri Coutya and Nik Diaper from the UK Sports Institute.
- Inclusivity Talk with Gemma Collis.
- Para Refereeing with Chris Farren.
- Creating Positive Environments with Dr Ellie Gennings.
In 2025-26, BF Learning Week sessions were recorded and uploaded on the BF YouTube channel, creating a library of information available all year round. Whilst there were lower live attendance figures (250 compared to 550 in 2024-25), the replay figures have created a base level of metrics for measurement going forward. BF Learning Week content attracted a 100% like rating and contributed to a 26% increase in views on the BF YouTube channel compared to 2024-25.
There was a positive impact from adding BF Learning Week content to the channel; for example, the ‘Inclusivity Talk’ with Gemma Collis was accompanied by a rise in views of the Free Trial Membership Guide and SwordSeat videos.
Coaching Development Partnerships
Continuing from previous years, BF continues to engage with partners across the sport sector to support the growth and development of our workforce. Some of the partnerships and their impact are highlighted below.
- UK Coaching– British Fencing Benefits From UK Coaching Support.
- FIE – Marion Nemitz attended and completed the FIE Coaching Academy Diploma
- Women in Sport High Performance – GBR Coach Oana Puiu became the first fencing coach in the world to be selected by the FIE for this prestigious programme
Leadership Through Fencing Programme
Over the last twelve months, BF has been working with the Leadership Skills Foundation to develop a Leadership through Fencing programme aimed at 11- 17 year olds.
Two pilots were delivered, and the programme is ready for full release during 2026-27.
Advanced Coaching Programme
The aim of the Advanced Coaching Programme is to support the growth of our coaches through the exploration of their own coaching philosophy, reflective practice and values and to provide an opportunity to explore performance, athlete and season planning.
Cohort 3 began in May 2025 and finished in January 2026 with eight coaches. Following the ACP, graduates Paul Beasley and Lewis McInley are now operating in the pathway space.
In 2026-27 we will be delivering the programme again to Cohort 4. Applications will open mid October 2026.
Sword in Hand CPD
In response to demand for more informal coach CPD opportunities, ‘Sword in Hand’ CPD days were delivered in all weapons. These sessions intend to bring coaches together to share anything they would like to discuss with peers, alongside the opportunity for coaches to give and receive lessons with feedback.
Enhancing the 2025-26 season, members of the Fencing Development Team were able to facilitate the sessions in order to provide more opportunities across the UK.
Two Sword in Hand Days were delivered in Cardiff, with other sessions in Nottingham, Darlington, Warwick and Norwich; 79 people in total signed up.
From the feedback received, 93% agreed that the Fencing Development Team created a supportive environment and helped coaches to develop new ways to train their fencers.
Overall Net Promoter Score for Sword in Hand CPD Days was +80, indicating that attendees would recommend the days to other coaches.
Read about the Cardiff Sword in Hand Day here.
Read about the North East Sword in Hand Day here.
GBR Pathway Coach Development
During the 2025-26 season, BF moved away from having individual ‘weapon leads’ and into developing a coaching team that supports each other within and across all three weapons. The 2025-26 coaches can be seen here.
This has allowed for new coaches to come in and develop through the pathway. Many of these participants coach at clubs, allowing for a wider impact across the sport.
The coaching team will come together on the 8th & 9th June 2026 to look back on the season and plan ahead.
Looking ahead to 2026-27, we will build on this work by:
- Developing our Digital Learning Offer
- Developing the referee pathway, both standing and wheelchair fencing
- Delivering a coordinated course calendar including Advanced Coaching Programme and the new Level 4 programme.
- Roll out initiatives to tackle underrepresentation in coaching
- Rewrite the Team Manager training.
- Welcoming the outcome of the application to the UK Coaching Co-Sport initiative.
Thank you
BF would like to thank:
- British Judo for hosting the Advanced Coach Programme
- Dr Jonathan Katz for his continued support of coaching and coach development, including the development of the Level 4 programme
- Ev Van Gemeren for his continued support, guidance and mentoring to members of the Fencing Development Team
- Marianne Davies and UK Coaching for their continued support throughout the year.
This post is related to the BF 2030 Strategy goals to Grow Participation, Support Women and Girls and Deliver Positive Social Impact.