Welcome to Lewes Fencing Club Newsletter -April, 2025

Hi All, We hope you had a great Easter and are eager to fence off the excess chocolate!

Here are the dates for the new mini term:

New Mini Term (9am–10am)

Dates: 27th April – 25th May (5-week term)

Fees: These are changing this term and will be £40 for the term. Please see further details below. Fees are payable as usual on the website here:

Advance warning: Summer Mini Term is from 8th June – 13th July (6 weeks)

Sunday 10am–12pm Fencers

You are also back on the 27th and If you normally fence on Sundays in the 10am to 12pm session, you are more than welcome to make up for missing the 20th by visiting us on Wednesday 23rd. Please note this is not a coaching session, so you’ll need to be happy looking after yourself on the piste.

Wednesday 7pm–9pm Fencers

Your session continues as normal

Fees please read as action is required

As a committee, we’ve been reviewing our fees and comparing them with other clubs. It’s difficult to do direct comparisons as clubs have different session structures—some rent out kit, others charge extra for coaching.

We haven’t changed our membership fees in several years, but our hall rental, running costs, and kit expenses have all increased. We’ve now reached a point where we need to increase fees to ensure we can continue to provide the same level of coaching, kit availability, and space required for a club of our size.

Effective from 27th April (when Minis return after Easter), our fees will be:

  • Minis: £8 per week, paid per term
  • Juniors (1 session/week): £25 per month (approx. £6 per session)
  • Juniors (2 sessions/week): £45 per month (approx. £5.50 per session)
  • Adults (1 session/week): £30 per month (approx. £7 per session)
  • Adults (2 sessions/week): £55 per month (approx. £6.50 per session)
  • Pay As You Go: Adults £12, Juniors £10 per session

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR STANDING ORDERS ARE UPDATED IN TIME.

Coaching

Our incredible coaches will continue to deliver group and individual lessons on Sundays. Wednesdays are now getting busier, but we still welcome more participants. Don’t forget, anyone who is happy fencing on an open piste is welcome to join us on Wednesdays as well as Sundays.

We’ve also noticed some people tend to leave just after 11. This is a holdover from when coaching used to finish at 11, but anyone fencing from 10am is welcome to stay until 12. Please make the most of this time.

Roughly a quarter of fencers have already worked on goal setting with Lewis—this will continue after the BYCs in May. If you’re already working towards your goals, keep it up! Otherwise, speak to Lewis to get started.

Competitions

17th May – Ardingly Friendly (U10s)

Suitable for Beginners, Novices, and Experts

Venue: Ardingly College, Haywards Heath

Entry: Speak to Lewis

29th June – U12 & U16 Sussex County Teams

Venue: The Triangle, Burgess Hill

  • U12: born 2013 or later
  • U16: born 2009 or later

29th June – Sussex County Senior Novice

Open to those aged 13+ on the day.

A novice is defined as someone who has fenced their weapon for less than two years.

Second-hand Kit & Kit Room

We will be launching a second-hand kit board in the coming weeks. The aim is simply to connect sellers with buyers. Simon will be leading this initiative—please speak to him if you have items to offer.

If you borrow kit, please return it to the correct place: jackets on hangers, plastrons on hooks, and breeches in the correct bags.

Website

We’ve said this before—our website needs an overhaul to bring it up to date with a fresh look, better feel, and updated content. If anyone has the skills to help, please get in touch!

Courses

Beginners Course

Our next adult (14+) course will start on 24th September. If you have any friends who’d like to try fencing, have them get in touch.

Indigo Course

25th & 26th May, 9:30–4:30 at Davison Leisure Centre, Worthing

Cost: £100

See the ‘Door’ at the club for more details.

Summer Social (Advance Notice)

Our summer social will be on 13th July, which is also the last Minis session before the summer break. We’re yet to confirm the venue, but please keep the date free—we’d love to see you all there!

We look forward to seeing you all soon.

Ashley, Claire, Della, Gavin, Gordon, Jo, Lewis, and Simon The LFC Committee