This is a demo, not British Fencing’s website. The clubs, coaches, events and results are BF’s own; the live rankings are calculated here from them, under BF’s Ranking Scheme. Member accounts are made up, and payments are in test mode.

Join free

CLUB DIGEST MARCH 2026

All the latest news and information for BF clubs. Wrapping up the year and looking ahead: funding opportunities, dates for your diary and more.

March 2026 Club Digest

Welcome to the March 2026 edition of the Club Digest, your quarterly roundup of essential updates, opportunities, and highlights from across the fencing community, tailored for club admins like you.

In this Club Digest:

  • Introducing BF’s Club Development Officer
  • Club Compliance: What you need to know
  • BF Honours
  • Upcoming Community Discussions
  • Upcoming Courses: Highlight Event Welfare Officer Course
  • And more…

Introducing BF’s Club Development Officer.

Chris Bryden smiles to the camera.

Hi, I’m Chris Bryden your new Clubs Development Officer. I’ll be working with colleagues from across BF and England Fencing, supporting you and your club with new resources to grow participation, and foster inclusive and supportive club environments.

“I’ve worked in sport development since 2009, including roles with local government, further education colleges, active partnerships and national governing bodies. I was also recently Area Manager (East) at Table Tennis England, supporting in excess of 80 table tennis clubs in the East region. On a personal note, I’m a keen hockey player (currently fourth team captain at Northampton Saints Hockey Club) where I sit on the club committee, driving community outreach programmes into state primary schools.

“Sports clubs are the beating heart of their community, and I’m committed to supporting our club ecosystem to grow the sport of fencing together. I’m looking forward to the Community Discussion Events next week, it will be great to meet you and explore ways we can work together.”

Chris is hosting Community Discussion Events for Club Admins on 25th March at 12.30pm or 6pm. This is an excellent opportunity for you to meet Chris, and find out how BF intends to support affiliated fencing clubs moving forwards. All Club Admins are welcome.

Sign up to the 12.30pm or 6pm Community Discussion Events here.

Club Compliance: What You Need to Know and How We’ll Support You

Is your Club compliant? If not your affiliation could be at risk. Don’t worry, we appreciate clubs are run by dedicated volunteers with varying levels of experience and time, we are here to help. Contact us at clubs@britishfencing.com the new dedicated email address for clubs.

At BF, our shared goal is simple: to ensure every fencer has a safe, supportive and professionally run environment in which to train and compete.
Club compliance is not about bureaucracy, it is about safeguarding, quality coaching, and protecting your members and volunteers.

What Does “Fully Compliant” Mean?

To meet compliance requirements, clubs must ensure the following standards are in place:

Every club must have a designated Welfare Officer who:

• Has completed SafeGuard Welfare Officer training
• Has completed SafeGuard Core training
• Holds a current DBS check
• Has a valid British Fencing membership
This role is essential in safeguarding your members and ensuring concerns are handled appropriately and confidently.

All coaches delivering activity within the club must:

• Have completed SafeGuard Core training
• Hold a valid DBS check
• Hold an appropriate, relevant coaching qualification
• Have a valid British Fencing membership
These requirements ensure coaches are trained, vetted and insured to deliver safe, high-quality sessions.

How to Become Fully Compliant

If your club is not currently meeting one or more of the above criteria, the process to become compliant is straightforward:

• Identify which requirement(s) are outstanding
• Book required individuals onto upcoming SafeGuard courses
• Renew expired memberships
• Apply for or renew DBS checks
• Appoint a new Welfare Officer if needed

Upcoming courses and workshops can be found on the British Fencing website. If you need to add your Welfare Officer or coaches onto courses, please refer to the courses section online.

If you are unsure where to start, contact us we are here to help you create a clear and achievable plan.

Why Compliance Is So Important

Compliance protects:

Your Fencers
They deserve the best team around them qualified coaches and a trained Welfare Officer who can support them.

Your Club
Non-compliant clubs may not be covered by insurance. This is a serious risk for everyone involved.

Your Affiliation Status
Remaining compliant ensures your club maintains its affiliation and that your fencers can compete representing your club without issue.

Compliance is not optional, it is fundamental to running a safe and recognised fencing club.

What Happens If a Club Is Not Compliant?

We understand that sometimes qualifications expire or roles change. Our approach is structured, transparent and supportive.

All communication will be sent via email to your Club Admin.

First Letter
You will receive a notification outlining:
• Where your club is not meeting compliance criteria
• What action is required
You will have one month to respond with a plan to become fully compliant (for example: booking individuals onto courses, renewing DBS checks, appointing a new Welfare Officer).

Second Letter
If we do not receive a response, a second letter will be issued.
You will have a further one month to respond with your compliance plan.

Third Letter
If no response or sufficient action has been taken:
• A third letter will be issued
• You will be given one week to respond
• The letter will outline next steps if no action is taken

The most serious outcome may be unaffiliation from British Fencing, meaning:
• Your club would no longer be recognised
• Your fencers may attend competitions without club affiliation
• Insurance implications may apply
We want to avoid this outcome wherever possible.

Our Commitment to You

Our intention is never to penalise clubs unnecessarily. The compliance process exists to:

• Safeguard participants
• Maintain high standards
• Protect clubs
• Strengthen our fencing community

If you receive a letter, please engage with us early. Even if you cannot immediately meet all requirements, submitting a clear plan within the timeframe makes a significant difference.

We are here to support you in becoming fully compliant and staying compliant.
If you have any questions or need guidance, please contact the team. Let’s work together to ensure every club provides the safest and strongest environment possible for our fencers.

Nominations for BF Honours 2026 open now

Nominations for BF Honours are open.

A reminder that the British Fencing Honours Committee invites BF members to nominate individuals for the BF Honours awards. The process for so doing is now open and will close on the 29th May 2026.

To find out more on how to put your nominations forward, follow the link here.

Upcoming Community Discussion Events

On Wednesday 25th March, BF invites you to meet your new club development officer, Chris Bryden.

This is an excellent opportunity for fencing clubs from across the home nations to attend to meet Chris, our new Clubs Development Officer, and find out how BF intends to support affiliated fencing clubs moving forwards.

A number of clubs have already signed up. There are two times for the events, 12.30pm to 1.30pm and 6pm to 7pm and it would be great to have as many clubs involved as possible.

To sign up, please fill out the form linked here.

To see all upcoming Community Discussion Events BF have to offer, follow the link here.

Upcoming Courses

There are still eight spaces left in the upcoming Event Welfare Officers Training being held on Sunday 29th March.

What does the role of the Event Welfare Officer involve?

– Promote good practice at an event
– Be a named point of contact when there are concerns
– To understand BF’s reporting procedures in case a concern is raised.

More information can be found here: BF Event Welfare Office Role Description
If you have any questions, please email us at: development@britishfencing.com

To sign up, please follow the link here.

To see all upcoming courses BF have to offer, follow the link here.

Dates for Your Diary

Club Community Discussion Event 25th March 12.30pm or 6pm

2026 April Championship Weekend 25th-26th April, EIS Sheffield:
– British Senior Championships (Individual and Team)
– British Para Championships
– GB Cup

2026 May Championship Weekend 2nd-4th May, EIS Sheffield:
– British Youth Championships

2026 July Championship weekend 4th-5th July, EIS Sheffield:
– British Open Championships
– British Open Wheelchair Championships
– British Open Veteran (Cat 2+) Championships
– British Open U14 Championships

2026 September Championship Weekend 12th-13th September, David Ross Sports Village, Nottingham:
– British Cadet and Junior Championships

Please note that dates for the events above are provisional and changes could occur. All calendars (FIE, EFC, WPF and BF) are subject to change, and in some cases, this may happen due to circumstances outside of BF’s control.

Further information, including confirmation of event formats and schedule, will be announced for each event in due course.

Event dates have been planned to avoid clashes with religious holidays as much as possible.

Club Reminders

Stay up-to-date with the BF Fencing Digest
Please share this sign-up link to our weekly newsletter with your members, to keep up to date on all our news including FIE, EFC and WPF rule changes, latest courses and more.

Membership Reminder
This is a great time to remind all club members that they must have a current BF membership. For newcomers and anyone who has not previously held a membership, we’re pleased to offer a FREE 90 day BF Introduction Membership for people who fence at an affiliated club.

Having an active BF membership is incredibly important, not only because it is required for participation, but because it provides essential insurance cover, ensures safe and regulated training environments, and supports coaching standards across the sport. Membership also helps fund the development of fencing nationally, from grassroots programmes to elite pathways, meaning you’re directly contributing to the growth of the sport you love.

Membership Rewards
Membership will also give access to Sport:80 Member Rewards where members can find hundreds of exclusive deals and discounts across major brands. Login to Sport:80 to find rewards include lifestyle, fitness, running and many more.

In the Next Club Digest…

  • April Championship Weekend round-up
  • May Championship Weekend round-up
  • GB League – Revamped and Coming Soon
  • BF Learning Month 2026
  • Volunteer Opportunities

LATEST NEWS

Don’t forget you can read all the latest news on the BF website here.

And finally, we are always interested in sharing stories and news from our clubs. Maybe you’ve had an interesting visitor or you are celebrating a club milestone. Send your stories and pictures to media@britishfencing.com.