COMMUNITY DISCUSSION EVENTS

To help facilitate the creation and sharing of best practice during and after lockdown, BF has created a series of community discussion events, inviting members to raise issues, discuss topics and share ideas.

The output of these discussions will be fed into the BF Return to Fencing Work Group. This work group has been set up specifically to coordinate and make recommendations on the community aspects of the BF Return to Fencing plan. This plan will need to adapt as and when government advice and guidance changes.

We hope these discussion opportunities will help sharing of current best practice, help us create advice and guidance to support a future return to fencing and also crowdsource ideas on how we can create a stronger better sport.

Please note that all current sessions will be held through ‘Zoom’, which is a virtual platform. Once you have registered for an event you will be sent the relevant login details and instructions on the day of the session. You do not need to have a ‘Zoom’ account in order to access these sessions and there is no cost to take part.

Timetable and Sign-up Details for Discussion Groups

Club (aimed at those members who run fencing clubs)

Monday 11th May (FULL)

Monday 18th May (FULL)

Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd, Thursday 23rd (FULL)

Tuesday 8th, Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th September (FULL)

Coaches  (aimed at coaches working in community clubs)

Friday 5th June (FULL)

Welfare Officers (aimed at those acting as welfare officers)

Wednesday 27th May (FULL)

Monday 1st June (FULL)

Tuesday 7th July (FULL)

Thursday 17th September – all registered Welfare Officers have been sent the sign up information, if you haven’t received this please e-mail hannah.gavin@britishfencing.com.

Performance Coaches (aimed at coaches working with Performance fencers) – dates tbc. All performance coaches will be sent an email – please reply to this email if you are interested in joining the discussion.

Competition Organisers – dates TBC

Please note that you will need to be a valid British Fencing Member to take part.

How do the discussion groups work?

We run the groups on Zoom, by invite. We limit the number of participants (approx 25-30) to ensure all questions are considered and there is time for discussion. You can put questions to the panel by asking beforehand when responding to your invitation, or during the session in the chat function.

How long does a discussion last?

The discussions will differ depending on the topic and are usually set for around 1-2 hours.

What topics are discussed?

These discussion groups will all cover a range of topics around supporting lockdown and returning to fencing for example health and safety, events, coaching, welfare, marketing, and more. There will be plenty of opportunities to contribute ideas and ask questions.

Will the sessions be recorded?

Yes, however, to facilitate an open discussion and allow people to share their honest opinions, we will only use the recordings internally to inform next steps and help us produce the return to fencing plans and guidance. We have found this approach puts people at ease and allows for a more honest discussion.

What happens after a discussion?

We are currently considering creating topic based member-led working groups to move forwards with particular areas of guidance after we have completed the first round of discussion events. We welcome participants who would like to help develop ideas prompted from the sessions.

I have a question that isn’t answered here:

If you have any suggested topics to discuss or want to know more about the series please e-mail hannah.gavin@britishfencing.com.