World Class Foil Squad C.I.C

Aim

HELP US RAISE £400K TO FULLY SUPPORT THE MEN'S FOIL TEAM. PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT TO BRING A GOLD MEDAL FROM THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS TO BRITAIN

Our Story 

In 2016, UK Sport stripped British Fencing and all of its athletes of £4.2 million of funding they previously received, which forced some athletes to quit and others to pick up extra jobs to keep their dreams alive.

The fencers have adapted accordingly picking up second and third jobs whilst also maintaining a gruelling and rigorous training regime. The British Men’s Foil team embodies resilience, hard work and dedication to a singular goal; from bartending, to coaching, to referees we would like to proudly and boldly call ourselves Professional Fencers.

Why we need support

For athletes to consistently achieve medals on the world stage they must be able to compete on the same level or higher than their adversaries on and off of the piste, this starts with funding. The athletes' ability to train and focus on fencing must not be hindered by other financial burdens, (as is currently the case with British Men’s Foil Squad) We have calculated that we will need approximately £500,000 per annum for the next 4 years.  

What we are asking for

Men's Foil Fencing Squad are seeking sponsorship of £1.2m to fully fund the team during the four-year cycle towards the Paris 2024 Olympics. In order for the team to win Olympic medals they will need to secure a qualifying space. 

What we will spend the money on

Funding will pay for athlete’s salaries, training facilities, and flights and accommodation for competitions.

In addition, it is important to have a strong, structured and committed support team working and travelling with us throughout the season. Key members of this team are the Team Manager, Team Coaches, Physiotherapist, Strength & Conditioning and Fitness personnel, Sports Psychologist and Video Analyst. Our events are long and exhaustive and having a fully funded medical expert support team is extremely important; physiotherapists are common practice for high-level teams and can make the difference between a team continuing or withdrawing. The support staff are essential to long careers to reduce obstacles such as injury or burnouts. 

Funding will pay for athlete’s salaries, training facilities, and flights and accommodation for competitions.

Who are we

The team currently proposed includes: Harry Bird, Kamal Minott, Ben Peggs, Will Lonsdale, Glen Ostacchini, Dominic Almeida, Jai Kwame Birch and Douglas Ashby.

A bit more about the fencers:

Kamal Minott: From my career as a fencer I would like to take the sport that I fell in love with back to the place I grew up, Plaistow, East London. To show children who grew up like me, in a hostile environment, that there are many ways to be successful.

Dominic de Almeida: I also hope to be an inspiration for younger generations of fencers to show that anything is possible by working hard and believing in yourself.

Glen Ostacchini: By the age of 10, I had become National champion and knew I wanted to take fencing to the world stage.

Jai Kwame Birch: I anchored for the first British Under 20 team to win a medal at the World Championships in 2016.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 10th June 2021