2030 Draft Strategy Overview

A strong, successful and sustainable fencing community.

To inspire and enable people to start, stay and succeed in fencing.

1. GROW PARTICIPATION: Increase inclusive opportunities and transform perceptions of the sport to welcome a new audience and grow participation at all levels.
2. CREATE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Establish a long-term, self-sustaining operating model that secures the future of British Fencing, strengthens clubs, and ensures the continued growth and success of the sport.
3. DELIVER GBR SUCCESS: Enable every GBR pathway athlete to maximise their potential to achieve international medal success.
4. SUPPORT WOMEN AND GIRLS: Attract and retain women and girls across all levels of fencing.
5. DELIVER POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT: Increasing fencing’s contribution to improving people’s lives.

Increase inclusive opportunities and transform perceptions of the sport to welcome a new audience and grow participation at all levels.

1. Drive Inclusive Participation: Expand and diversify fencing participation by breaking down socio-economic, disability, and ethnic barriers, ensuring equitable access to the sport. Develop a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce that fosters inclusive opportunities, making fencing accessible and welcoming for all.
2. Transform Public Perception & Visibility: Enhance fencing’s public profile through increased positive media coverage and recognition of British Fencing (BF) and its clubs as leaders in innovation and inclusivity. Strengthen BF’s branding and communications to reflect a modern, diverse, and welcoming sport, ensuring fencing is seen as accessible to all.
3. Expand Fencing in Schools: Significantly increase the presence of fencing in state schools by developing structured programs, providing training and equipment support, and integrating fencing activity into education curricula. Increasing the number of children that get the opportunity to experience and engage with the sport, regardless of background.

Establish a long-term, self-sustaining operating model that secures the future of British Fencing, strengthens clubs, and ensures the continued growth and success of the sport

1. Diversify & Grow Revenue Streams: Expand and diversify funding sources for all aspects of our work to increase financial resilience, reducing reliance on single-income streams and maximising opportunities for investment in the sport.
2. Uphold Excellence in Governance & Integrity: Maintain full compliance with UK Governance Code for Sport while demonstrating an exceptional commitment to sport integrity matters.
3. Effective Leadership & Operational Efficiency: Enhance the effectiveness of the Board and Executive team by improving strategic decision-making, driving operational efficiencies.
4. Empower Clubs for Long-Term Success: Support clubs in accessing funding, resources, and best practices to develop robust, sustainable operating models that ensure their long-term viability and growth.

Enable every GBR pathway athlete to maximise their potential to achieve international medal success

1. Develop the GBR Athlete Pathway: Deliver an exceptional GBR pathway program that nurtures and retains talented athletes, ensuring a continuous pipeline of world-class fencers while keeping those who exit the pathway engaged in the sport.
2. Develop High Performance Coaches: Identify, develop, and support high-performance coaches with the expertise and experience to lead GBR athletes to Olympic and Paralympic success.
3. Rebuild for Olympic Success: Rebuild a world class Olympic fencing program, securing athlete qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics as a stepping stone toward medal success at Brisbane 2032.
4. Maintain and Build on Paralympic Success: Support a world leading Paralympic Programme, delivering medal success in LA 2028 Paralympics whilst developing the next generation of world class paralympic fencers for 2032.

Attract and retain women and girls across all levels of fencing

1. Foster Inclusive & Supportive Club Environments: Collaborate with clubs to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces where women and girls feel empowered to participate, compete, and thrive in all aspects of fencing.
2. Increase Awareness & Engagement in Female-Focused Programs: Enhance visibility and promotion of British Fencing’s female-focused initiatives, ensuring that women and girls across the community are aware of and actively engaged in these opportunities.
3. Remove Barriers & Drive Meaningful Change: Identify and address the specific challenges that prevent women and girls from fully participating in fencing, implementing targeted solutions to increase accessibility, retention, and progression at all levels and in all aspects of fencing.

Increasing fencing’s contribution to improving people’s lives.

1. Expand Fencing’s Social Impact & Community Reach: Develop and grow a diverse portfolio of social impact projects that use fencing as a tool for positive change, addressing the needs of under-served communities and delivering measurable benefits to society. This includes sustaining and growing our flagship Muslim Girls Fence programme and establishing our new programme for children with Autism.
2. Integrate Social Impact Projects into the Fencing Ecosystem: Strengthen the connection between social impact projects, clubs, and competitions by creating clear and sustainable pathways for participants to transition into long-term engagement within the sport.
3. Maximise Learning & Enhance Community Engagement: Capture insights from social impact projects to equip fencing activity providers, clubs and competition organisers with the knowledge, best practices, and resources needed to better serve under-represented and under-served communities, enhancing accessibility and long-term participation.