News Update from Hugh Kernohan
Good afternoon everyone.
I write this to you all from the Inverclyde National Sports Centre where we will be hosting the Scottish Open next week. Fear not, I haven’t turned up ridiculously early for the Men’s Epee but thanks to sportscotland the board and staff team have been hosted here for 24 hours for our first face-to-face gathering since February 2020. Apart from meeting in person some of the newcomers we had only ever seen on a screen, our purpose was to discuss our plans for the next strategic cycle.
Shortly we will be publishing the next iteration of the #ForgingTheFuture strategy, covering the period up to March 2025. We will hold a number of online sessions, hosted by the directors, to let members have the opportunity to ask questions on how we plan to put the strategy into effect and offer suggestions to strengthen those plans. The staff team will also be in attendance. When the sessions go live I encourage anyone interested to sign up: it will be good to see you there.
On the competition front, I would like to offer my congratulations to those who competed in the recent Scottish Student Sport fencing beginners event, and my best wishes to those within the student community who are planning to head south for the BUCS Nationals this weekend. I hope you travel safely and fence well. If you have any media to share from BUCS, please do use the #ForgingTheFuture hashtag so we can re-share.
On behalf of everyone within SF I’d like to extend the same thoughts to those travelling abroad on GBR duty this weekend. The commitment shown and sacrifices made to compete at this level are no small thing and you go with our best wishes. I hope you enjoy the experience and learn from it.
Closer to home, we have the Scottish Open next week but also have the rescheduled Scottish Youth Championships for Under 20’s on 19 March at Bathgate Academy. Entries are now open and you can access them here. As ever, we look forward to seeing the next generation of Scottish Champions.
Also on the weekend of 19-20 March, across both days , we have our first face-to-face coach education opportunities for a long time. Please have a look here and sign up – our coach educators are looking forward to seeing you.
Coming up over the next few weeks will be updates on new Steering Groups run by the board and opportunities to volunteer as part of these, and in other areas of Scottish Fencing effort where you may wish to contribute your time and expertise. If you have a passion for digital media, competition delivery, or coaching then we will certainly have something for you.
Thank you and have a great weekend.
Hugh
Hugh Kernohan – Governance Director
#ForgingTheFuture
Scottish Open Announcement and FAQ’s
Para Fencing Events
Please note: Due to low entries the para events won’t take place. However, we are postponing these rather than cancelling them. We hope to run another event later in the year. Details to follow soon.
Age Limits
The limit to ages is now on the date of the event rather than 1 January. If you are now eligible to fence in the Open and would like to compete email us at admin@scottish-fencing.com and you can pay the £45 lower rate.
Please note: Many of the events are busy and we are now setting limits on entries to:
Women’s Epee – 28
Women’s Foil – 28
Men’s Epee – 42
Women’s Sabre – no limit yet
Men’s Sabre - 35
Men’s Foil - 35
While we have set limits there is a chance spaces will come available so it is worthwhile adding your name to the waiting list.
Contact Information
Liz Anderson
Email – admin@scottish-fencing.com
Mobile - 07803 207349
Welfare Officer – Ross Morrison
Email – safeguarding@scottish-fencing.com
Mobile – 07950 902245
Photography/Social Media
If you would prefer not to have your picture taken or feature in any website/social media posts please email admin@scottish-fencing.com in advance of the event. Remember to also mention this to DT on the day of the event.
Event Schedule
Saturday 26 February 2022
Check in / Event Start
09.30 / 10.30 Women’s Foil and Men’s Epee
12:30 / 13:00 Women’s Epee
Sunday 27 February 2022
08.30/ 09.30 Men’s Foi l and Men’s Sabre
12.30 / 13.00 Women’s Sabre
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID Protocols
We appreciate your cooperation with the following protocols which are in place to keep everyone safe.
Please do not arrive at the venue if you have any Covid symptoms. We will refund anyone who is unable to compete due to Covid.
Face coverings
All competitors, spectators, coaches and event staff are required to wear a face covering when not fencing or warming up.
Lateral Flow Testing
Competitors, spectators, coaches and event staff are required to take a lateral flow test 24 hours before the event and then again on the morning before they leave for the venue. (or in the morning before they go for breakfast if staying at Inverclyde House).
Scottish Fencing staff and officials may check your lateral flow test result on arrival, please have your result confirmation text or email to hand.
As per Scottish Government guidance we will not check Covid passports as there are competitors aged U18.
In line with current advice we would recommend that you test in the run up to the event and post event as follows:
• 1 Week before the event: Test twice weekly with one test on the day of the event.
• 1 week after the event: Test twice weekly
• Ongoing after the event: Continue to test twice weekly
Order rapid Lateral Flow tests to your home: https://test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/order-lateral-flow-kits
Collect rapid Lateral Flow tests from your nearest coronavirus test site: https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/
Collect rapid Lateral Flow tests from your nearest pharmacy: https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/findatestcenter.html
How to do a rapid Lateral Flow test at home and get advice on the test result: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19/test-and-protect/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-do-a-rapid-lateral-flow-device-lfd-test-at-home
Check in Scotland
All coaches, officials and spectators are asked to check-in on arrival at the venue using the Check-in Scotland QR code which will be available throughout the venue.
Equipment
Each fencer is personally responsible for making sure that his or her clothing and equipment conform to BF rules and are in good condition. Neither SF nor the organisers of the competition, nor any official or referee involved in the competition is responsible for these matters, or for any accident, loss or damage to persons or property however caused
All fencers must wear the correct kit as per British Fencing rules.
This will include FIE chest protectors (m.25 4(c) ) and 800N sabre gloves (as per the rule at https://www.britishfencing.com/urgent-safety-notice-sabre-gloves/)
Equipment Stand
Please note there will be no equipment stand at the event.
Armoury
Armoury services will be available at the event provided by Paul Thomson.
First Aid
First Aid cover is by MX Medical.
Spectators
Spectators will be permitted at the event. As a guide we would recommend that each fencer brings no more than one coach and one spectator.
Catering
There is a café on site at Inverclyde which will be open during the event.
Weekly News Update & Performance Consultant appointed
Hello everyone
There are a few items to cover in this week’s news update with the major news being the appointment of our Performance Consultant.
Keith Cook has been appointed to the role and we are delighted someone of Keith’s calibre is joining the team. As the outstanding submission within the tender process, the panel were delighted to hear his thoughts on how we could maximise the next 7 months to prepare the team to deliver its strongest performance at the upcoming Commonwealth Championships in London.
This is an exciting time for all those keen to represent Scotland in London this year. Adding Keith’s expertise is critical to forming the team, its environment and its values and his clear experience as a Coach, athlete and mentor will be key skills for the team to draw upon. We can’t wait to see what the future brings.
This past week also saw success at home and abroad for Scottish athletes and its great to see so many people able to compete as restrictions become further reduced. As ever, if you can tag Scottish Fencing in any of your social media posts it would be great and we can share these too. On that note, we will shortly be advertising training opportunities for clubs and volunteers to get some social media training from an external training resource. Any member can access this and we would love to help create a new field of volunteers for clubs to own and “take over” fencing social media. We will release confirmation of dates and times next week.
At Scottish Fencing HQ, Clare Queen has been continuing to engage with clubs and members since she joined the team in January and you can keep track of where she has been out and about on the SF social channels. Recent highlights were a visit to Braveheart Fencing in Glasgow (pics on facebook) and also some engagement with Scottish Student Sport to help support some on-campus initiatives.
As mentioned last week, we are approaching a busy competition time with Scottish Student Fencing Beginners happening this weekend and in a couple of weeks we have the Scottish Open. Please have a look at the Scottish Open FAQ document here.
Thank you again to everyone who has entered these events and also thank you to those who attended the recent Foundation for Scottish Fencing YDS in Edinburgh last weekend. The next YDS event is on March 27th back at St George’s school in Edinburgh.
One of my favourite fencing-related emails arrived a few days ago in the form of the “The Duellist” – a wonderful newsletter from Elgin Duellist Fencing Club which is beautifully presented by Michael and Robin. If you aren’t on the mailing list please do contact the club or even better, get a read here. It’s a wonderful way to spend 20 mins with a coffee and a biscuit as the club updates on activities large and small.
Thank you again to everyone (family, coach, club committee, volunteer, friends) who keep the fencers motivated and committed to the sport. It’s great to see the community come together as we begin resurfacing from the pandemic and as my colleagues have written in previous weeks I look forward to seeing faces old and new on or beside a piste soon.
Sheila
Sheila Anderson – HR Director
#ForgingTheFuture
News Update - Paul Vaughan - SF Performance Director
Good evening everyone
A “warm” welcome to the sunnier climes of February – the bad joke here is outdoor fencing is no longer required but if its grown on you then good luck and keep going!
Moving away from my humour and awful dad jokes, it was great to see so many of the fencing community enjoying themselves at competitions foreign and domestic last week. So many of the images on social media were heartening to see and of course any sort of fencing is great fun at the moment. I may or may not have finished 11th at the Stirling Sword Sabre myself…
Coming up over the next few weeks we have the Scottish Student Sport (SSS) Beginners event which you can enter via PlayWaze here – please do consider supporting this beginners event if you are eligible to compete, it should be great fun.
This coming weekend we also have the Foundation for Scottish Fencing Youth Development Series event in Edinburgh. Please do check the Foundation facebook page and other social channels for more info including check-in times and other crucial info.
At the end of February we of course have the Scottish Open in Largs. We are delighted to be hosting the event after what seems like an age, indeed the last Open was in November 2019 so once again I’m looking forward to seeing friends old and new enjoying themselves on the piste. If you havent already entered (and you really should have by now 😉) then please check out the link here.
Throughout February, we also have a multitude of international representation at Cadet, Junior and Senior level as a clutch of Scottish Fencers were selected for various upcoming GB squads and events. We also have a few coaches and support staff from the Scottish fencing community travelling as well so a hearty congratulations to everyone selected – well done!
A last call here for those who have yet to complete the British Fencing Equality Survey which was emailed to all members. Please do fill it in if you can as it provides a vital picture of our membership landscape and really does help us tailor future programmes at British and Scottish level.
Lastly, our Chair George Liston shared in last weeks brief update a number of opportunities to join the coaching team for the commonwealth championships would go live this week. These Lead Weapon Coach vacancies are now live on the SF website and socials and if you have any queries please contact Clare on Clare.Queen@scottish-fencing.comwho can get the best answer for you.
Our Performance Consultant post has now closed and the panel met this afternoon to review the applications. We will announce the successful tender next week.
Meantime, wherever you are getting your fencing fix this weekend please enjoy it and look after yourself and those around you.
Paul Vaughan – Performance Director
#ForgingTheFuture
Recruitment - Commonwealth Fencing Championships - Lead Weapon Coaches
Scottish Fencing wish to recruit three Lead Weapon Coaches to support the preparation and performance of the Scottish Team for the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in London from 9-20 August 2022.
This is a positive opportunity to be part of a successful Scotland Fencing Team at a unique Commonwealth Fencing Championship. To participate as a team coach at a high-level event, honing your skills in team training and development as part of a small, dedicated group of coaches, matching your motivational and tactical skills against other countries from cadets to veterans.
We invite applications from coaches who are qualified at Level 3 in their chosen weapon.
The closing date for applications is 17.00 on 14 February 2022. Please complete the attached application form (either written or as a voice recording) giving a short summary of your relevant coaching experience and personal qualities which will support your application to admin@scottish-fencing.com
The role description is attached below, please refer to this when preparing your application.
Scottish Fencing is an equal opportunities employer and would welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. All appointments are made purely based on merit and ability. If you require any assistance to apply please contact Clare Queen at clare.queen@scottish-fencing.com
Lead Weapon Coach Role Description
Lead Weapon Coach application form
News Update - 28th January 2022
Good afternoon everyone
I hope those of you aged 18 and over have enjoyed your first few days back fencing indoor. I understand this has been a frustrating time but we remain ever hopeful things are on an upwards trajectory and we are now back on the piste permanently.
As the fencing landscape opens up there are always new things to talk about and hopefully new points of interest for all of the fencing community in Scotland.
A couple of weeks back we held the first domestic competition of 2022 in Scotland where athletes from as young as 11 through to 17 were competing in a (slightly truncated) Scottish Youth Championships (SYC). You can watch back the finals of each weapon on the SF Instagram channel but the great news is we have a provisional date for the U20 events as well.
Thanks to the work of President Stan Stoodley and Operations Manager Liz Anderson we are securing Bathgate Academy on Saturday March 19th for the U20 SYC’s. As ever, if you would like to volunteer as a referee, social media crew or event crew please do contact Liz on admin@scottish-fencing.com
It was also a great week for the many Scottish Athletes named as part of the GBR teams for the upcoming Cadet & Junior European Championships in Serbia. You can see the British Team announcements here and all the athletes go with our best wishes for success - a huge congratulations to all the young athletes and their clubmates and coaches who helped put them on a GBR team.
Last week, we also released the first of a number of roles related to the upcoming Commonwealth Championships. These roles will be remunerated and the Performance Consultant role is live here – In the next few days we will also release the role profiles and application process for those interested in coaching roles within the Scottish Team heading to London in August.
We all hope everyone enjoys the Stirling Sword this weekend, a great event for those young and “senior”! There is also the Foundation for Scottish Fencing YDS event on 6th February and then the Scottish Open (enter here) on 26/27 at Inverclyde. Lots of fencing coming up and hopefully a chance for all our members to get back on the piste.
Also, a final reminder to all members to please complete the British Fencing equality survey issued by email recently. We are keen to have as high a representation from Scotland complete the survey as it directly influences the number of equality and inclusion projects we can deliver nationwide. Please do check the email inbox all your BF comms go to and fill the form in if you can.
Finally, thank you again to everyone for your patience during the restrictions. We know it was tough but it would be great to see images from your own fencing or your clubs as to how much members are enjoying their fencing again. Please do tag us on our social media channels directly or use the hashtag #ForgingTheFuture and we can find you.
George
George Liston
Chair – Scottish Fencing
Recruitment - Performance Consultant
Scottish Fencing is seeking tender proposals for the role of Performance Consultant to support the organisation as we move towards the 2022 Commonwealth Championships and beyond.
Please click here to access the tender document and please contact Clare Queen, Head of Pathways & Community Change with further queries.
This is an exciting time to join the organisation particularly if you have experience of delivery in a performance context or environment. We look forward to hearing from you!
#ForgingTheFuture
Note of thanks - Scottish Youth Championships 2022
It was really nice to see everyone who attended the Scottish Youth Championships at St Georges School in Edinburgh over the weekend.
Many of the children have grown significantly since last I saw them, not only in height but in convincing me that I’d have my work cut out for me if I had to face them on the piste. It was clear to see that the efforts made by the clubs and coaches is definitely paying off.
There was evidence of development in the children’s technical, tactical and physical competencies and of particular note was the spirit in which the children engaged in the competition, demonstrating respect for their opponents, referees and officials.
I was also very pleased to see them supporting and encouraging each other through the ups and downs of the poule fights during the day. Sporting events such as these provide the children with much more than just the opportunity to win a medal. They provide a safe environment to learn about social interaction, enjoying time with friends and making new friends along the way. They learn how to face and manage physical, mental and emotional challenges, sowing the seeds of self- understanding and personal growth as they mature into adult life.
These opportunities for our children to participate and learn would not be possible without the essential help from our volunteers who give up their time and skills freely for the benefit of all involved. To all these volunteers, on behalf of our fencing community, I’d like to say thank you.
Barring any restrictions on our competitive events imposed by the Scottish Government I’m looking forward to seeing the action at the upcoming YDS, Stirling Sword and Scottish Open. Get active and get your entries in !
Stan Stoodley
News update from Scottish Fencing President Stan Stoodley
Hello everyone
This week, our first domestic competition of 2022 kicks off at St Georges School in Edinburgh albeit in an augmented fashion. We are able to run the Scottish Youth Championships for those under 18 which sadly means our U20 age group will need to compete for their titles another time, however it is set to be a great weekend and we will bring you some coverage on socials and the SF website over the course of the weekend.
I hope you join me in wishing the best of luck to everyone competing.
Also, in the last few days our CEO Vincent Bryson has been engaging with Scottish Government and other sports to seek clarity on when the restrictions preventing adult contact sport may be lifted. The CEO Forum is a key part of the strategic dialogue between governing bodies and Scottish Government, Active Scotland and sportscotland and having our CEO as Chair of the Forum means Scottish Fencing is playing a key part in this dialogue.
These conversations were pivotal in ensuring U18 athletes could still receive lessons from coaches as we confirmed before Christmas and is also driving the debate around the benefits of contact sport indoor as a key vehicle for health, wellbeing, community and the nations recovery from the pandemic.
The CEO Forum has received a response from the Minister and SF will be engaging with government staff as a part of the Forum over the next few days. There will be a weekly update to parliament from the First Minister on January 18th.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to remind everyone the Scottish Open takes place on February 26/27 2022 at Inverclyde National Sports Centre in Largs. Entries are open via Sport80 and I’d like to express my deepest thanks for the work going on behind the scenes from staff and volunteers to make what is sure to be a fantastic and fun event.
One last reminder, all members should have had the British Fencing Equality Survey sent to their registered email. It would be fantastic to have as many Scottish Fencing members complete the survey as possible to aid with our equality objectives for the future.
I look forward to seeing you in Largs or indeed on or near a Piste sometime in 2022.
Stan Stoodley
President
Scottish Fencing
#ForgingTheFuture
