October Update
As promised in the September SFR news update below is the link to our survey – http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N72M2L5
We are asking everyone who has anything to do with the region to complete this questionnaire by the end of November so that we can produce a snap shot of what is going on in the region and what we can do to help develop everyone further.
With all this information we will produce a document that will form the basis of an application for a grant to help with the development across the region. If you have the time, take a look at the England website for details: www.englandfencing.co.uk
We will be using the base data for our future mailing list – if you do not want to be on it, you have the option to opt out, but please do the survey.
Many thanks, in advance, for your assistance – we will update you with our progress.
Next competition
The age group team competition is in 3 weeks, on Nov 20, details are on the website.
We will be awarding our rather wonderful ‘Sportsmanship Award’ for a foil star as we did last year, this year we also have one for an epee star. These awards are about sportsmanship, not about being the best fencer – not that you shouldn’t strive to be both.
We have also the possibility of holding some basic sessions with an armourer to show fencers and/or parents about some basic upkeep of weapons – if you would like us to spend 10-15mins on this, please email June: secretary@southernfencing.org.uk.
Details have been put up by BF on kit recalls, please check out the website for details as we need you to ensure you are safe to fence.
Training Day
We are going to hold a training day or two the weekend of January 7/8. Saturday 7 will be held at Oxford and we will have coaches in all three weapons. If there is sufficient demand we will book the Sunday, at another venue. There will be a £20 charge for the day. To book your place, please email June: secretary@southernfencing.org.uk– please specify the weapon as numbers in each group will have to be controlled, also say if you would prefer Sunday if available or indeed if you would like both.
Over this weekend we will also be holding potential coach course attendee assessments so if you think you might like to become a coach or you are already a coach and would like to move up, our coach educators will be on hand to put you through you paces to see if you are ready to take a place on a course. Our course for level one and two (any/all weapons) will be planned over the following few months with different opportunities for you to attend training and assessment days. Please email our coach co-ordinators Olly and Lee: coaching@southernfencing.org.uk to let them know you would like to book a slot with our educators to assess you and to arrange to tell you how the course will run.
Also on the Sunday there will be a first aid course for those of you who need one – Mike is very good and some of the course will be fencing specific. There will be a charge for this certificated training. We will confirm the amount when we have the numbers of you who would like to attend – you will have to cover the course cost, the region will cover the other expenses (will be somewhere between £20 and £40, so we need a full house to keep the costs down). If you would like to attend the first aid course please email June: secretary@southernfencing.org.uk
Upcoming Competitions
- The Epee and Sabre Adult and Age Group competition. This will be held at Reading University on Sunday, 15 January.
- The Foil Age Group competition. This will be held at St Barts, in Newbury, on Sunday, 26 February.
For those entering the Age Group competitions, the British Youth Championships will be held over the May Bank Holiday, 5-7 May 2012.
Other Notices
Club officials/coaches – are you a new club, a growing club, a club with out of date kit – please check out the BF website for details of the lease to buy option for new fencing kit. BF/EF have arranged for an amount of kit to be available that you can tap into.
FYI – parents…. There is a parents group now formally recognised by BF. They have their own website www.bfparentsgroup.co.uk so feel free to check it out.
Members of the BF board have been attending ‘road shows’ around the country to talk to fencers and families answering your questions about fencing – would you like us to arrange for one at either the January or February competitions? Please let me know by Nov 20 if you would, and I will see if I can arrange one.
