All the latest news and information for BF clubs.
In this Club Digest:
Hello and welcome to the latest Club Digest. We’ve given this introduction section a new name; Club Development Corner, to keep you informed about club development work from BF.
I wanted to begin by thanking the fencing community for welcoming me into the role since I started with BF in February. It’s been great to catch up with a number of clubs and hold meaningful conversations that I’m sure will translate into positive working relationships.
So, what’s new in Club Development? It was great to meet some of you at our Club Development Community Discussion Event in March, where we set out the strategic direction for my role within the first six months. You can read the event round-up here. I’m delighted to announce we are moving forward in a number of areas we discussed. A reminder of those:
Regarding the club survey, BF has commissioned an organisation called Ragdoll to undertake this piece of work on our behalf. Ragdoll, based in Bristol, is an independent market research agency who have worked with other National Governing Bodies of sport to commission club surveys. You will receive the survey via email from Sport80. Please complete it to help us gather the fullest picture possible to help shape support for clubs moving forwards.
For the GB League app, I am looking forward to meeting you at the Community Discussion Event on the 29th of June, where you can hear how to host your own GB League sessions. More information on the event is below.
The timetable for BF Learning Month has been announced. You can see all the Club Development sessions info below with links to sign up.
Finally, I’m excited to announce the formation of Club Circle, a club communities of practice group that will act as a ‘critical friend’ to the BF Club Development Officer role and help to ensure BF is developing products and programmes that are relevant to clubs. If you are interested in supporting BF in this work, I would love to hear from you. Please see the article below for more details on how you can get involved.
Finally, if you want to say hello, please drop me an e-mail at any time on [email protected] and I’ll get back to you. I’m really looking forward to developing the sport together.
Yours In Fencing
Chris
To grow the sport of fencing and to help increase participation, sustainability and reach new audiences, BF invites expressions of interest from fencing clubs to form the brand-new Club Circle (Communities of Practice Working Group).
This new group aims:
If you are part of a fencing club with a keen interest in club development, Club Circle is for you.
If you would like to have a chat regarding the group, please feel free to reach out using the details below. Alternatively, please complete the expression of interest form by Friday 24th July by click the link below:
The timetable for BF Learning Month 2026 has been announced and there are some fantastic club specific sessions already available for sign-up.
To see all sessions and sign up, visit the BF Learning Month timetable page here.
BF recently launched the Leadership Through Fencing award, a new and exciting programme, made possible through a partnership between BF and the Leadership Skills Foundation. The Leadership Skills Foundation aims to provide young people with essential employability skills to assist them with succeeding across education and job opportunities.
The programme is aimed at 11- and 17-year-olds and is ideal to be delivered in the club and school space, providing young people with practical experience as they prepare for further education and employment opportunities.
Learn more about Leadership Through Fencing here.
Bring the Leadership Through Fencing award to your club by emailing [email protected].
BF invites all clubs and club admins interested in delivering GB League sessions to join our next Community Discussion, co-hosted by Chris Bryden (BF Club Development Officer) and Simon Brock (GB League App Developer) on Monday 29th June 2026.
To sign up to the GB League Community Discussion, please sign up below –
The British Senior and Para Fencing National Championships take place annually, this year falling on the 25th-26th April. They took place at the EIS Sheffield, the venue of many BF Championship events. The GB Cup (DEU Championships), also a staple of the BF events portfolio, took place on the Sunday.
To see a full round-up of the April Championship Weekend, follow the link here.
The British Youth Championships (BYCs) take place annually over the first May bank holiday weekend, this time falling on 2nd-4th May.
To read the full report, click here.
GB League Community Discussion Event 29th June
2026 July Championship weekend 4th-5th July, EIS Sheffield:
– British Open Championships
– British Open Wheelchair Championships
– British Open U14 Championships
Club Circle expression of interest deadline: 24th July
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.
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.
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 [email protected].
