GRAVESHAM FENCING CLUB – COME AND ‘GUEST’ FENCE FOR THE NIGHT
Tuesday 1st August 2023 should have seen the members of Gravesham Fencing Club conclude their monthly, in-house, club competition; however, with so many ‘guest fencers’, from other clubs, in attendance, it was decided to put the club competition on hold for another week and take full advantage of fencing some different people. With a healthy number of 14 members (for the summer holidays) and additional 8 guests, we were in for a busy night of fencing.
With use of half of the sports hall, at Cygnet Leisure Centre in Gravesend, four pistes were set-up. Three were commandeered for the epee fencers and the fourth for the foilists among them. Luckily, with club kit available to borrow (for those who forgot items), everybody was able to fence in the discipline that they wanted. As usual, it was decided to ‘free fence’, with any fencer challenging another as soon as a piste became available. The youngsters even got involved and happily fenced the guests, challenging themselves against some new and accomplished fencers.
Thank you to all our guests for a wonderful evening and we hope to see you again! We run all adult sessions throughout the holidays, so just pop along.
For anybody else whose club has shut for the summer or, if you want to challenge yourself against some new faces, Gravesham is open, for experienced fencers (with their own kit) on Tuesdays from 7.00pm-9pm and Friday from 7pm to 9pm.
For those new to fencing we run beginner’s courses from only £50 for 8 sessions on a Friday evening, from 8-9pm, but these must be pre-arranged and the first trial session is FREE!
For children aged 8-12 years who would love to give the sport a try, we run coach led sessions on a Friday from 6-7pm, with all kit provided.
For junior fencers, from 13-16 years of age, we run coaching sessions on a Friday between 7-8pm; (these will re-commence in September 2023) but you are more than welcome to attend the free fencing sessions with the adults on Tuesday and Friday evenings between 7-9pm at any time of the year.
After the beginner’s course, and for all experienced members you will need to enrol as a member of the club, this involves filling out a few forms and setting up a standing order for the monthly fee; which are as follows:
Adults: £264 per year, payable as 12 monthly instalments of £22
Juniors (under 16 years of age): £240 per year, payable as 12 monthly instalments of £20
There is a monthly reduction of £1 for each additional member of the same family.
Guests: £10 per session (or for those attending regularly, concession price – as above), as agreed in advance with the coach/committee.
These fees give you attendance at both the Tuesday and/or Friday sessions and professional tuition (for those 13years and above, tuition may be limited to term time only, but you will be able to free fence during the adult sessions instead).
Finally, those who are not members of the Gravesham Leisure Link scheme (run by the council and outside our remit as hirers of the hall) must also pay £1.90 at a time to gain admission to the Cygnet Leisure Centre (£1.50 for juniors and senior citizens). For those attending regularly, you can purchase a membership card from GCLL for a nominal annual fee, which will then give you admission to the site (you will need your supply your membership number on entry for fencing, if you have this).
