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 are aware there are lots of things to discuss, from health and safety in clubs, to how events can run, and many questions that we won’t be able to answer just yet.

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.

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). More dates to follow, sign up here to express your interest.

Coaches  (aimed at coaches working in community clubs) – Friday 5th June, 2pm will be the first session specifically aimed at coaches who have started, or intend to start, outdoor training. Sign up here to express your interest.

Welfare Officers (aimed at those acting as welfare officers). Wednesday 27th (FULL), Monday 1st June. Contact Hannah if you are a welfare officer but have not received an invite.

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 – Week commencing 8th June. Sign up here to express your interest.

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.