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  • Welcome to Lewes Fencing Club Autumn Newsletter -September, 2026

    Our last newsletter back in May started off with “Phew! It’s been hot, hasn’t it?” — well, that didn’t change much over the summer, did it? We hope you all had a great July and August and are ready — if you haven’t been already throughout the summer — to hit the piste. We doubt we’ll need it now, but just to confirm, we follow the British Fencing hot weather guidelines: read the guidelines here.
    🗓️ New Mini Term (9:00–10:00am)   Dates: 6th September – 18th October (7 weeks) Fee: £56 for the full term
    Advance warning: the next term will be 1st November – 13th December.  
    👉 Fees are payable via the website: lewesfencingclub.org.uk/purchase
    🕒 All Other Sessions (Unchanged)  
    Sunday: 10:00am–12:00pm              Wednesday: 7:00pm–9:00pm

    We’ve had a number of Minis graduate into the main 10am–12pm group, and whilst some of them have been fencing throughout the summer, we welcome them back to this next step in their fencing career.
    Courses for friends and relatives who are interested in fencing:

    Adult Course (14+): 6 weeks on Wednesday evenings, starting 23rd September, 7pm–8pm, cost £70. Please have them email us at enquiries@lewesfencingclub.org.uk.

    6–13 year olds: One-hour taster sessions, £12 per session. Please email enquiries@lewesfencingclub.org.uk for availability.
    Socials
    Oops, we missed the summer social this year — mainly because everyone seemed to be getting away early — but don’t worry, we’ll be back with the popular Christmas social. It’s all yet to be decided, but we expect it to be on 13th December, straight after club, so please save the date.
    New Club and County Roles  

    Jo Banks may be Mum to Harrison, but you should also know she’s our Welfare Officer. If you feel there are any issues around welfare, please speak to her (or email welfare@lewesfencingclub.org.uk).

    However, at last week’s Sussex Fencing Union AGM, she took on the role of Competitions Manager for the County — so congratulations to her.

    Emmeline Hawker has volunteered to look at our website, so expect to see changes over the next few weeks to make it easier to navigate and find information.

    Good news — a new Épéeist is on the way! We must congratulate Lewis and Laura, who are expecting their second child in October. This does mean coaching may change at random and without notice around that time, but we have three other excellent coaches able to step in and fill Lewis’s coaching jacket, should we need them.
    A Small Library

    We now have a small library of fencing books, mostly donated by Della. We’re happy for these to be borrowed by any member, but please see Gordon or Della to ‘book’ them out so we can keep tabs on them.
    ⚠️ Safety and Kit Usage — Please Read

    Our Armourer, Simon, is always working hard to keep our kit in good condition. Here are five simple things you can do to help Simon and the club:

    Tip Screws — When fencing for the first time each week (or more often if possible), check that your tip has two screws. Missing screws lead to lost tips. Did you know you can receive a yellow card at a competition for arriving at the piste with a missing tip screw? Make it a habit to check regularly.

    Loose Handle — If your handle or guard is loose, get it tightened as soon as possible. If you’re in the middle of a match, stop and get it seen too. A loose handle or guard can very easily cut one or both of the wires running through the guard, resulting in a full wire replacement and taking the weapon out of service for several sessions. At one point, we had just three right-handed épées available for the whole club.

    Plugs and Sockets — Whether connecting a spool wire or a body wire, always pull the plug itself when disconnecting, not the wire going into it.

    Spool Wire Return — After finishing and disconnecting your body wire, please don’t leave the spool wire in the middle of the piste — walk it back to the end so it doesn’t whip back into the spool with too much force.

    Neighbouring Piste Awareness — When fencing next to another piste, please be mindful of what your neighbours are doing. This is especially important with the wireless kit. We frequently see people getting very close to fencers on an adjacent piste, often without a mask. If you need to retrieve something from the middle of the piste — a wifi pack or a drink — wait for your neighbours to pause, then move quickly. If you’re one of the neighbouring fencers and spot an issue, halt your match and, where space allows, move away from the adjacent piste to create a safe buffer.
    🏆 Competition Results Adult Mixed Teams (18th July) 1st Lewes Strike
    3rd Worthing Leopards (made up of people who are also members at Lewes)
    6th Lewes Defenders
    7th Lewes Titans

    Adult Ladies Teams (18th July) 1st Lewes Valkyries
    Mixed Novice (11th July) 2nd Ben M          3rd George E
    Junior Ladies Teams (11th July) 1st Ava, Ella, Maja
    Junior Mixed Teams (11th July) 2nd Ivan, William, Kaelan.

    Congratulations     to everyone who competed.
    📅 Upcoming Competitions

    Sussex Open — 21st–22nd November, Burgess Hill. Entries via Sport:80 open now.
    👕 Club Kit

    We still have club T-shirts available. Please speak to Della or Gordon if you’d like one.
    🙌 We Need Your Help

    The club is always grateful for additional support.

    Here are a few ways you could get involved:

    Parents’ Representative on the committee, to help run the club. Our committee is very low-key — most conversation happens via WhatsApp, with occasional meetings in a pub somewhere. This role is really about being the eyes and ears of the under-18s, from a non-coaching perspective.

    Session Setup & Pack-down — More helpers means less work for everyone.

    Course Administration — Support with course bookings and maintaining a steady intake across age groups. If you can help in any capacity, please speak to one of the committee members.
    And finally, not a goodbye but more of a see you later, to Alex Tyazhkorob, who is following in Alex Lilov-Hood’s footsteps in starting an apprenticeship out of the area. You’re always welcome back to see us. Good luck from us all.
      Claire, Della, Gordon, Lewis and Simon The LFC Committee

    Lewes Fencing Club · lewesfencingclub.org.uk

  • Welcome to Lewes Fencing Club Newsletter -May, 2026

    Phew! It’s been hot, hasn’t it? The weather looks like it’s about to change though, so this Sunday should be fine. But now that the summer months are here, please don’t forget to bring a drink to sessions — and if you need a break during a warm-up or class, please just take one.

    British Fencing hot weather guidelines: https://www.britishfencing.com/fencing-in-hot-weather-guideline-reminder-2026/

    🗓️ NEW MINI TERM (9:00–10:00am)

    Dates: 31st May – 12th July (7 weeks) Fee: £56 for the full term

    👉 Fees are payable via the website: https://www.lewesfencingclub.org.uk/purchase/

    🕒 ALL OTHER SESSIONS (Unchanged)

    Sunday: 10:00am–12:00pm Wednesday: 7:00pm–9:00pm

    SAFETY AND KIT USAGE — Please Read

    Our Armourer, Simon, has been working hard over the past few weeks to keep our kit in good condition. Here are five simple things you can do to help Simon and the club:

    1. Tip Screws — When fencing for the first time each week (or more often if possible), check that your tip has two screws. Missing screws lead to lost tips. Did you know you can receive a yellow card at a competition for arriving at the piste with a missing tip screw? Make it a habit to check regularly.
    2. Loose Handle — If your handle or guard is loose, get it tightened as soon as possible. If you’re in the middle of a match, stop and get it seen to. A loose handle or guard can very easily cut one or both of the wires running through the guard, resulting in a full wire replacement and taking the weapon out of service for several sessions. At one point, we had just three right-handed épées available for the whole club.
    3. Plugs and Sockets — Whether connecting a spool wire or a body wire, always pull the plug itself when disconnecting — not the wire going into it.
    4. Spool Wire Return — After finishing and disconnecting your body wire, please don’t let the spool wire go from the middle of the piste. Walk it back to the end so it doesn’t whip back into the spool with too much force.
    5. Neighbouring Piste Awareness — When fencing next to another piste, please be mindful of what your neighbours are doing. This is especially important with the wireless kit. We frequently see people getting very close to fencers on an adjacent piste, often without a mask. If you need to retrieve something from the middle of the piste — a wifi pack or a drink — wait for your neighbours to pause and then move quickly. If you’re one of the neighbouring fencers and spot an issue, halt your match and, where space allows, move away from the adjacent piste to create a safe buffer.

    🏆 COMPETITION RESULTS

    Sussex Juniors

    CategoryNameResult
    U10 MixedArvin🥇 Gold
    U12 MixedIvan🥇 Gold
    U12 LadiesMaja🥇 Gold
    U14 MixedVincent🥈 Silver
    U14 MixedArtie4th
    U14 MixedOscar5th
    U16 MixedFintan🥉 Bronze
    U16 LadiesSimi🥈 Silver
    U18 MixedOscar🥇 Gold
    U18 MixedFabian🥈 Silver
    U18 MixedTobi🥉 Bronze
    U18 LadiesAntonina🥇 Gold

    Well done to everyone who took part — a fantastic set of results!

    We’ve been a little remiss in tracking our adult competitors, but Bob, Dom, and Harrison have all been competing at various events across the UK. A special mention to Tom for his Silver at the Bristol Open — brilliant result!

    📅 UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

    Hot off the press — not yet confirmed or open for booking:

    • 11th July — Junior Teams, Burgess Hill 
    • 11th July — Novice Adult*, Burgess Hill 
    • 18th July (possibly 19th) — Adult Teams, Moulscombe (very provisional — date and location may change)

    * A novice is defined by British Fencing as someone who has fenced for less than two years and has not placed (1st, 2nd or 3rd) at any open or major competition.

    Confirmed:

    • Sussex Open — 21st–22nd November, Burgess Hill Entries via Sport:80

    COURSES

    Della has just completed our first-ever women-only course, which grew out of the ‘Try Fencing’ morning we held for International Women’s Day. We look forward to seeing those participants return over the coming weeks. Our next beginners’ course will run after the summer, in September or early October.

    If you love fencing, or are interested in UCAS points (72!), and were born before 2014 then please speak to a coach about joining British Fencing’s Pathway! Applications open in July and give you 12 days of free BF training camps. https://www.britishfencing.com/gbr-pathway-programme-zone/joining-the-pathway/

    PHOTOGRAPHER

    Two Sundays ago we welcomed Suz, a photographer working with Women in Sport, who are running a feature on female coaches. While her focus was on action shots of Della and Alice, she also captured some general club photos that we’ll be able to use. We’re not yet certain what usage restrictions may apply, but we know the images won’t be available until after the feature has been published — we’ll keep you posted.

    👕 CLUB KIT

    We still have club T-shirts available. Please speak to Della or Gordon if you’d like one.

    SUMMER SOCIAL

    Our summer social will be on 12th July, straight after club as usual. If you know of anywhere in Lewes that could accommodate us for food, please let us know and we’ll make contact.

    🙌 WE NEED YOUR HELP

    The club is always grateful for additional support. Here are a few ways you could get involved:

    • Session Setup & Pack-down — More helpers means less work for everyone. 
    • Webmaster — Help us modernise and refresh our WordPress website. 
    • Course Administration — Support with course bookings and maintaining a steady intake across age groups. 
    • Parents’ Representative — Act as a friendly point of contact during sessions while coaches and committee members are occupied.

    If you can help in any capacity, please speak to one of the committee members.

    Claire, Della, Gordon, Lewis and Simon

    The LFC Committee

  • Welcome to Lewes Fencing Club Newsletter -February, 2026

    Hello, with Christmas a dim memory and rain always on the horizon, what things do we have for you to look forward to?

    🗓️ New Mini Term (9:00–10:00am)

    Dates: 22nd February – 29th March (6 weeks)  Fee: £48 for the full term

    👉 Fees are payable via the website: https://www.lewesfencingclub.org.uk/purchase/

    Advance Notice:

    The following term will run for 6 weeks from 12th April.

    🕒 All Other Sessions (Unchanged)

    Sunday: 10:00am–12:00pm (Fencers)  Wednesday: 7:00pm–9:00pm (Fencers)

    Please note: We will be closed for all fencers on Sunday, 5th April (Easter Sunday).

    🏆 Competitions

    BYC Qualifiers – Early February

    Well done to everyone who competed — the standard this year was extremely high, with 290 competitors across all six weapons.

    Results:

    Men’s Épée U12 Eli – 8th (Qualified) Men’s Épée U14 Vincent – 11th (Qualified) Men’s Épée U16 Fintan L – 22ndWomen’s Épée U14 Ella C – 2nd (Qualified) Women’s Épée U16 Simin S – 13thMen’s Épée U18 Harrison B – 5th (Qualified) Alex LH – 9th (Qualified) Alex T – 20th Zedd S – 24th Alfred J – 26th Toby B – 30th
    Women’s Épée U18 Antonia B – 7th (Qualified)

    Congratulations to everyone who qualified for the main BYC event — a fantastic achievement.

    📅 Upcoming Competitions

    South East Region Senior Épée – 7th March Elite

    Épée Junior Series (Surrey U10, U12, U14, U17) – 11th–12th April

    Elite Épée Senior Series (Surrey) – 11th–12th April

    Sussex County Junior Age Groups – 18th April    		British Youth Championships – 2nd–5th May (for qualifiers)

    Elite Épée Junior Series (and U14 BRC) – 27th–28th June Cocks Moor Woods – 15th November

    Sussex Open – 21st–22nd November

    Entries via Sport:80

    👩 Women & Girls Open Morning – 8th March  – EVENT to promote please

    Tell your friends!  Della and the coaching team will be hosting a drop-in “come and try” morning. A great opportunity to introduce someone new to fencing.

    🏋 Additional Training

    Indigo 3-Day Training Course 7th–9th April

    Attend for 1, 2 or all 3 days. Full details and booking information are available on the Kit Room door.

    👕 Club Kit

    We still have club t-shirts available. Please speak to Della or Gordon if you’d like one.

    📋 AGM Highlights

    Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM. Here are the key updates:

    Chair’s Report

    • 106 fencers attended at least one session during the year.
    • Overall membership numbers remain similar to 12 months ago, though individual groups fluctuate.
    • The 9:00–10:00am group is thriving, with 3 coaches and 1 trainee coach supporting around 12 students (plastic and metal weapons).
    • The 10:00am–12:00pm session can sometimes feel quieter due to university leavers and fencers competing nationally and internationally.

    The Christmas social was unfortunately cancelled, but we hope to run a summer event — possibly somewhere new.

    We remain one of the largest clubs in East Sussex. However, recruitment and retention continue to be an ongoing challenge.

    Courses & Tasters

    • 6–13 year-old taster sessions are performing well.
    • Adult courses are harder to fill — we may need to improve follow-up when people enquire.

    Plans for the Coming Year

    • Explore electric plastic kit for 6–10-year-olds
    • Improve recruitment
    • Increase competition participation
    • Upgrade and maintain club kit

    Our kit is ageing. Simon does a fantastic job maintaining the technical equipment. White kit requires more care — the better we all look after it, the longer it will last.

    Thank you to the parents who helped with repairs last year.

    Treasurer’s Report

    Balances at 31st July:

    2022: £6,673 2023: £5,714 2024: £4,8662025: £4,355 2026 (part year): £5,845

    The recent fee increase has stabilised finances and put us back on a sustainable footing. Maintaining a healthy balance ensures we can respond to equipment needs or rule changes requiring major purchases, as example, just replacing one scoring box could cost us £1000.

    Coaches & Competitions Report

    • 35% of fencers competed at least once last year
    • 4 regular fencers were selected for the GBR teams
    • We now have:
      • 3 active coaches
      • 2 trainee coaches
      • 2 additional qualified coaches who step in when needed

    One coach has offered to increase their involvement.

    🙏 Thank You

    The club would not exist without its members — but special thanks go to:

    Simon – Armourer
    Claire – Treasurer &  Safeguarding (support)
    Jo – Safeguarding
    Lewis – Head Coach    		Della – Coach
    Brian – Coach
    Toby & Alex – Trainee Coaches
    Dom – Sunday set-up hero

    🙌 We Need Your Help

    The club is always grateful for additional support. Here are a few ways you could help:

    Session Setup & Pack-down

    More helpers mean less work for everyone.

    Webmaster

    Help us modernise and refresh our WordPress website.

    Course Administration

    Support with course bookings and maintaining a steady intake across age groups.

    Parents’ Representative

    Act as a friendly point of contact during sessions while coaches and committee members are busy.

    If you can help in any capacity, please speak to one of the committee members.

    Ashley, Claire, Della, Gordon, Lewis and Simon.

    The LFC Committee

  • Welcome to Lewes Fencing Club Newsletter -December, 2025

    Dear all,

    We hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas and are well prepared for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

    We’re excited to say that the club will be back to normal from this weekend, including our Minis sessions. Please find the details for the next Mini term below.

    Term Details

    New Mini Term (9:00–10:00am)

    Dates: 4th January to 8th February (6 weeks)

    Advanced notice: the following term will run for 6 weeks from 22nd February to 29th March.

    Fees: £48 for the term (to 8th February).

    Fees are payable as usual via the website: https://www.lewesfencingclub.org.uk/purchase/

    All Other Session Times (Unchanged)

    • Sunday: 10:00am–12:00pm (Fencers)
    • Wednesday: 7:00pm–9:00pm (Fencers)

    Fees

    As is normal each January, the leisure centre has increased its hall hire rates. However, our club fees will remain unchanged and should continue to be paid by Standing Order.

    If you are paying for a Mini fencer, please use the website link above.

    A reminder that Pay As You Go fees are:

    • Adults: £12 per session
    • Juniors: £10 per session

    PAYG is available for the Sunday 10:00am session only and for experienced fencers.

    Competitions

    The BYC Qualifiers at Burgess Hill are nearly upon us. This is a great event covering U12, U14, U16 and U18 age groups for both male and female fencers.

    You are eligible if you were born between 2009 and 2014. At last check there were already 44 entries, so if you’d like a space, please book soon to avoid disappointment.

    Entries are via the BF Sport80 website:

    👉 https://bf.sport80.com

    If you’re unsure whether this event is right for you, please speak to one of our lovely coaches.

    📅 British Youth Championship South East Qualifiers: 6–7 February 2026

    Events

    Introduction to Coaching Fencing (ITCF) – Epsom (21–22 February)

    Best of luck to all of our fencers signed up for this course! If you’re interested in taking your first steps into coaching, please speak with Della or Lewis.

    📅 Epsom ITCF: 21–22 February 2026

    Coaching Update

    Lewes Fencing Club is well integrated with Worthing and Dragonhead, with shared fencers and coaching across the clubs. We’re currently experimenting with structuring coaching themes across the year between the clubs.

    The content will remain flexible, and we very much welcome suggestions on topics that fencers would like to explore in more depth.

    Our coaches are continuing their professional development this year through courses and CPD, and we’re hopeful to qualify some new coaches. In December, Lewis assisted in planning and coaching at the British Fencing Pathway Camp, which was a great development opportunity and excellent visibility for the club.

    AGM

    We’ll be holding a club AGM on 1st February at 12:30pm, directly after the Sunday session, at The Dorset.

    We’ve been a bit remiss and haven’t held an AGM for several years, so it would be great to have representation across all age groups. Please do come along if you’re able to make it.

    Courses

    • Adult Course (14+):Starts 4th February, runs for 6 weeksCost: £70
    • Ages 6–10:Sunday tasters run weeklyCost: £12 per session
    • Ages 11–13:No date yet, but we are building a waiting list

    If you know anyone who might be interested in any of these courses, please ask them to get in touch with the club.

    HELP!

    The club is always grateful for extra support. Here are just a few ways you could help:

    • Session setup and pack-down: We have a regular group of helpers, but more hands mean less work for everyone.
    • Webmaster: Help us redevelop and modernise our WordPress website — and make it a bit more funky.
    • Course Admin: Assist with filling courses and managing admin to keep a steady flow of fencers across all age groups.
    • Parents’ Rep: Help parents feel more involved by being a friendly point of contact during sessions while coaches and committee members are busy.

    Well, that’s a wrap for 2025. Wishing all our members a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2026!

    Best wishes,

    Ashley, Claire, Della, Gavin, Gordon, Lewis, and Simon

  • November/ December 2025

    Ho Ho Ho, Everyone! 🎄

    Can you believe December is almost here? The countdown to Christmas is officially on, and we know this time of year gets wonderfully hectic for everyone!

    Before the festive whirlwind takes over completely, we wanted to share some important dates with you all.

    Our Christmas Social – Sunday 14th December at the Dorset Arms!

    We’re mixing things up this year with a burger feast! Choose from:

    • The Traditional American with Cheese
    • A Vegan Burger with Vegan Cheese
    • Chicken Burger with Bacon and Cheese

    All served with chips (suitable for everyone). We’ll head over as soon as the club closes, with food arriving at 1pm. It’s £13.95–£14.95 per person – please drop us an email if you’d like to join us so we can finalise numbers.  

    Festive Opening Hours

    • Sun 14th Dec: Fully Open $ Christmas Social
    • Wed 17th Dec: Open
    • Sun 21st Dec: 10am–12pm only (no kids sessions)
    • Tue 24th Dec: Closed
    • Sun 28th Dec: Closed
    • Wed 31st Dec: Closed
    • Sun 4th Jan: Fully Open, kids session 9am–10am
    • Wed 7th Jan: Open

    We know it’s a little early, but just in case we don’t see you beforehand – wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

    Ashley, Claire, Della, Gordon, Lewis and Simon.

    The LFC Committee