CLUB DIGEST SEPTEMBER 2025
ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW SEASON?
Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful summer. With a new season ahead, we look forward to seeing your athletes, coaches, and members thrive together.
MEET THE TEAM
Whether you have a membership or events query, chances are, you’ll be chatting with one of us! We’re here with the commitment to provide clear and professional support ensuring every interaction is handled with care and efficiency that leaves you feeling supported and excited about what is ahead!
If you have a question about membership, Sport80 support or general queries, please contact: membershipqueries@britishfencing.com.
If you have a question about events (licensing, entries, eligibility etc…), please contact: events@britishfencing.com.
Sophia Jones – Customer Service Manager
Abigail Dicks – Membership and Events Manager
Samantha Hepple – Membership and Events Officer
IS YOUR CLUB ON THE CLUB FINDER
Our Club Finder is a great way to advertise your club, training nights and accessibility information to potential new members within the community. Our Club Finder will show clubs within a 1-100 mile radius from a location entered.
To ensure your club is showing on our Club Finder, fill out your locator preferences on your club’s Sport80 account.
You can do this by:
– Logging in to your club Sport80 account.
– Click “Membership” on the left hand-side.
– Click the Membership tab and scroll to “Locator Preferences.”
– Fill out your information and select “Yes” to show on our Club Finder.
INTRODUCTION TO FENCING MEMBERSHIP
Is your club running a beginners’ course or ‘come and try’ sessions?
We know how much effort clubs put into welcoming new people to fencing, and we want to help you go even further! That’s why we’re excited to offer affiliated clubs the chance to give beginners something extra: a FREE 90-day British Fencing membership.
This special introductory membership is the perfect way for newcomers to feel part of the fencing community from day one. It’s available to anyone completely new to fencing, taking part at a BF-affiliated club in the UK, and who has never previously held a BF membership.
Help your beginners take their first steps into fencing with confidence – and a great head start!
MEMBERSHIPS
Please remind all your club participants that British Fencing offer a variety of memberships, whether you are a competitive fencer or you enjoy fencing as a hobby, British Fencing has a membership that will match your needs.
Compete Membership – Full, U20, U14:
– For fencers wanting to compete.
– Able to compete in unlimited BF-licensed events.
– Gain BF Ranking points at ranking events and appear on the associated BF Ranking list.
– Can downgrade to a recreational membership.
Recreational Membership – 18+, U18:
– For fencers wanting to take part in a recreational form of fencing.
– Unlimited renewals.
– Can upgrade to a complete membership.
Starter Membership – 18+, U18:
– For newcomers to the sport at a recreational level.
– Under 18 can hold this membership for 2 years (one renewal.)
– 18+ can hold this membership for 1 year.
– Can upgrade to recreational/compete from this membership
Supporter Membership – 18+, U18:
– For volunteers, fans, supporters and parents.
– Able to volunteer and BF-licensed events.
– Unlimited renewals.
Please encourage your members to check out our website for more information; click here.
SPORT80 REWARDS
A brand new membership benefit for all those with a paid membership!
Sport80 Rewards give you access to hundreds of exclusive deals and discounts across major brands. Rewards include lifestyle, fitness, running and many more. Just follow the instructions on each deal to get your discount.
To access Sport80 rewards, log in to your Sport80 account and click the ‘Rewards’ tab from the main menu. You will be taken to the Rewards page, where you can explore all the deals on offer!
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
What are British Fencing Achievement Awards?
Achievement Awards are an inspiring way to motivate young fencers, giving them a real sense of purpose and progress from the very first step of their fencing journey. Each stage builds excitement and confidence — starting with the fundamentals of coordination, agility, and balance, before moving on to more advanced, fencing-specific skills. It’s a rewarding pathway that keeps young fencers striving, improving, and celebrating their success at every level.
Please note that only those listed on the online Coach Register can order Achievement Awards.
The price of a pack of Go/Fence or MiniSwords Achievement Awards is £25, including standard delivery. You will receive a pack of 12 certificates and pin badge.
To find out more about Achievement Awards from those who are already using them, follow the link here to see an interview with Neil Bromley, President of Swindon Fencing Club and enthusiastic fencing coach.
What types of achievement awards are there?
Mini Sword
Developed for children aged 5-7 and focuses on the fundamentals of physical development alongside basic fencing skills. Within each MiniSword award pack, you receive three awards which encourage good coordination (Green award), balance (Blue award) and agility (Yellow award). The pack also contains the requirements to help assess whether children qualify for that particular award.
Go/fence achievement awards
Designed for ages 8+ and can be implemented or assessed by anyone who has completed a qualification through the BF Coaching Framework. The focus is on the wider range of fencing skills and knowledge, including technique, tactics, etiquette, history, young leadership and club assistance.
There are three awards that candidates can work towards: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each has its own requirements and a checklist, which will be supplied to the leader for reference. Through regular GO/FENCE participation, children can be assessed over time, and if they meet the requirements of a particular award, can be presented with one of the three awards, with the aim of achieving all three.
If you are interested in adopting the Achievement awards into your club, you can order the Achievement Awards by following the link here. Each pack contains twelve certificates and pin badges.
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND ROUND-UP
CADET AND JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2025
David Ross Sports Village at the University of Nottingham welcomed over 450 Cadet and Junior fencers from across the nation for a remarkable showcase of talent and determination. Across the 13th and 14th of September, these young athletes competed with skill, focus, and passion, each striving for the prestigious title of National Champion.
A huge thank you to the clubs who kindly provided referees over the weekend. Your support and willingness to work with British Fencing to make sure we had the referee team we needed made a real difference, and we are truly grateful for your time and commitment to help the event run smoothly.
We would also like to give a very special thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time over the weekend. The dedication, effort, and countless hours you put in behind the scenes are truly invaluable. Your hard work may not always be in the spotlight, but it is deeply appreciated and absolutely essential to making the event such a success.
To see all the results from the weekend, follow the link here.
To see images from the weekend, you can find them by following the link here.
U14 A BRC EPEE AND SABRE
On September 14th, the U14 A BRC – Epee and Sabre event was held alongside the Cadet and Junior National Championships, bringing together more than 80 fencers across both weapons. This competition represents a key milestone within the BF domestic series, offering a valuable platform for young athletes aspiring to progress onto the GBR Pathway and gain future international fencing experience.
Alongside the competition, athletes and parents had the chance to connect with Head of Talent, Sarah Jones. Across the weekend, Sarah hosted dedicated sessions for parents and coaches keen to learn more about the GBR Pathway, with morning and afternoon discussions running throughout Sunday.
Sarah Jones commented: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our U14 fencers to gain valuable development experience in a competitive environment, and I’m excited to meet the next generation of GBR athletes.”
To see all the results from the weekend, follow the link here.
To see images from the weekend, you can find them by following the link here.
D E U EPEE EVENT
On September 13th, the D E U Epee event took place alongside the Cadet and Junior National Championships, with 20 fencers stepping onto the piste for an exciting day of competition. Open to D, E, and U-rated fencers aged 13 and above, the event provided a valuable opportunity to gain experience and test skills against opponents of a similar level.
To see all the results from the weekend, follow the link here.
To see images from the weekend, you can find them by following the link here.
D E U EVENTS – LEARN MORE
Rating events provide an opportunity to provide competitions for British Fencing members who only rarely compete.
Difference between Rankings and Ratings
Rankings
– Targeted at elite category fencers.
– Points earned by taking part in BF events
– Used for ADP, GBR, FIE/EFC selection
Ratings
– Graded A – U
– Provides a clear progression path
– Provides opportunity for competition organisers to put on competitions aimed at different levels.
– Opportunity for fencers to gain competition experience.
To learn more about D E U and Rating events, follow the link here to watch the Learning Week session with Brian Britton and Paul Abrahams. The video includes how to run your own D E U events, how to view the D E U website and how to understand the rating system.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Have you got any vacancies you need advertised?
We publish vacancies on behalf of BF partners and BF-affiliated clubs seeking BF-registered coaches.
If you would like a vacancy published, please fill out this form: Job Postings for British Fencing.
The vacancy will be published on our website and our social media platforms. To see current/past vacancies, follow the link here.
UPCOMING TRAINING AND COURSES
Team Manager, Coaching, SafeGuard and Welfare, Referee, Armoury courses and more.
To see all upcoming courses BF have to offer, follow the link here.
HAVE YOUR SAY ON WHAT TO READ ABOUT NEXT
We’d love to hear from you! Our next Club Digest will be out in December, and this is your opportunity to let us know the topics and stories you’d most like to see featured. Your input will help us shape content that’s relevant, engaging, and useful for our community.
To let us know what you would like to hear about, please follow the link here.
LATEST NEWS
BF LEARNING WEEK
BF held its fourth iteration of Learning Week between the 18th and 22nd August 2025.. The event featured discussions from BF staff members and guest speakers, with the focus being on accessibility and disability inclusion.
BINNI’S BLADEZ SHORTLISTED FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY PROJECT AWARD
Binni’s Bladez has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Community Project Award by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
NEW SWORD IN HAND CPD OPPORTUNITIES ANNOUNCED
New Sword in Hand CPD Workshops — Now Open for Registration.