#FundFencing

by British Fencing in London, England, United Kingdom

#FundFencing
We did it
On 29th April 2017 we successfully raised £18,631 with 151 supporters in 66 days

British Fencing aims to raise money to support senior athletes on our international performance programme both in training and competition.

by British Fencing in London, England, United Kingdom

Who are we?

British Fencing is the National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of fencing in Great Britain.  We are responsible for developing the sport in the UK, looking after our membership and supporting performance athletes who aspire to compete and suceed on the international stage.  

In 2016, British Fencing's World Class Programme oversaw the team's first ever qualification for Olympic Games in the modern era of the sport.  James-Andrew Davis, Laurence Halstead, Richard Kruse and Marcus Mepstead claimed a place for TeamGB at the Rio Olympic Games.  Richard Kruse achieved the best result in 50 years - 4th place in the individuals -  and the GB team came 6th in the team event.  Recognised by UK Sport for having a world class set-up public funding was increased to support a young team of sabre athletes targeting Olympic qualification in 2020 and beyond.

Despite this, UK Sport announced a complete removal of funding from our elite programme in December 2016, requiring the close down of the programme and withdrawal of any programme support to our athletes mid-season.

Why are we raising money?

This funding appeal is specifically to maintain our performance programme for the rest of the season so that we can send a well prepared team to both the European and the World Championships.

All money raised will be used to support the senior athletes on our international performance programme both in training and competition.  Funds will be used in two areas:

  • the continuation of our training programme which is designed to help our athletes maximise their potential and ultimately win medals at the European Championships in Tiblisi and the World Championships in Leipzig
  • international travel and competition expenses including the European and World Championships

In order to achieve our goals we will need to pay for a dedicated training facility, coaches, plus support staff (e.g. a strength and conditioning coach).

Our Team

The campaign is being led by our Chief Executive, Georgina Usher, who is a ten time British Champion, former GBR international fencer and Commonwealth Champion.  She is being supported by a core group of staff across all departments of the organisation.

Georgina said, "We must do everything that we can to support this talented group of athletes for the rest of this season at the very least.  Every penny of support will be gratefully received and spent solely on giving these athletes every chance of success at the European Championships and World Championships."

Our Athletes

All money raised will go directly to the British Fencing International Programme to support athletes currently on our World Class Programme.  They are:-

Men's Foil

Jai Birch

James-Andrew Davis

Richard Kruse

Alex Lloyd

Marcus Mepstead

Rajan Rai

Men's Sabre

Soji Aiyenuro

Harry Boteler

Will Deary

Curtis Miller

Kirk Slankard

Jonathan "JJ" Webb

Events Calendar

By supporting our campaign you will be assisting athletes who will be competing at the following events:

  • 31 March-1 April - Seoul Grand Prix (Men's Sabre)
  • 5-7 May - St Petersbourg World Cup (Men's Foil)
  • 19-21 May - Shanghai Grand Prix (Men's Foil)
  • 19-21 May - Madrid World Cup (Men's Sabre)
  • 2-4 June - Moscow Grand Prix (Men's Sabre)
  • 12-17 June - European Championships Tiblisi
  • 19-26 July - World Championships Leipzig

Why this is so important?

The impact of UK Sport’s decision is enormous.  Our athletes who have been working towards Tokyo now need our help and support to get to the Games. This starts here with a campaign to ensure they can compete at the European and World Championships to the best of their abilities.

What happens if we don't reach our target?

Every penny of the money raised will be going to support athletes representing Great Britain.  We will prioritise supporting the athletes preparing for and competing at the Senior World Championships, then the European Championships.  Any funds allocated to each competition will be equally split between the athletes competing, regardless of their WCP status at the time.

What they say

 

If you support our campaign, not only will you have the pleasure of supporting our international athletes but you may also be eligible for some money-can't-buy rewards!

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£15 or more

7 of 100 claimed

£15 Reward

A limited edition British Fencing logo pin made specifically for this project. Only 100 available so be quick!

£45 or more

4 of 25 claimed

£45 Reward

A limited edition golf umbrella made specifically for this project including the British Fencing logo and #FundFencing.

£100 or more

15 of 50 claimed

£100 Reward

A signed photograph of the athletes that you are supporting with a personalised message of your choice.

£5,000 or more

0 of 5 claimed

£5,000 Reward

A 2hr masterclass with our head coach and two of our supported athletes at our Elite Training Centre.

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