According to a Kent fencing club, it will not be able to train new members until it finds a new location where it can also keep equipment for beginners. The chairman of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Fencing Club (RTWFC), which has spent 15 years in the town’s Army Reserve center, stated that the club must vacate by September. According to Martin Briggs, until a suitable location is found, the club will not be able to train the next generation of fencers, despite having a strong young group with several competing at the international level.
“We need a place to store equipment for new members, but we can continue with existing members who can take their kit home after a session,” he said.
Founded by the late three-time Olympian Steven Paul in 2005, RTWFC offers classes on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Fencing equipment, which includes a mask, glove, chest protector, shirt and blade and costs about £300, is currently stored at the club’s current home. Mr Briggs said: “We have the British under 17 champion here in Tunbridge Wells but if we can’t store the entry level equipment, the kids won’t try it out.” The club is searching for a venue to accommodate eight fencing areas, known as pistes, which cover the equivalent of three badminton courts or one basketball court. The ideal storage area is around 6.5 sq ft (two sq m). Mr Briggs said the club could “bring racking and do whatever needs to be done to make the storage safe and accessible”.