Fencing at our club takes place at the Territorial Army Centre, Sydenham Road, Croydon on Thursday evenings from 6:00pm to 9:30pm. The club opens at 6:00pm but if you can't get there at that time then come along, even if it's a little later. We don't hold lessons at set times but tuition is included in the fee and is provided at any time during the evening. There are also plenty of members willing
to give you help and further information on the sport. All you need to bring is a t-shirt(not with collar), trainers and track-suit/jogger bottoms (preferably with zipped pockets). Please don't arrive in shorts, leggings, torn jeans or combat trousers with 101 pockets up and down the leg! It's purely for safety reasons - if you do arrive dressed in the above, please make sure you bring along some track-suit/jogger bottoms to change into. Having a good time and enjoying our company is absolutely FREE! - however, the fee to use the club facilities and fence etc. is £50.00 for a block ten week term which works out at only £5.00 an evening. A casual evenings fencing is offered at £6.00 - subject to availability of kit. COVID-19 Risk assessment for Ashburton Fencing Club:
These observations and guidelines have been issued to all club members and new members to ensure that they aware of them prior to their arrival at the club. There will be designated monitors to ensure that the safety guidelines are adhered to for the safety of everyone attending a fencing session.
1. Any member who feels or shows symptoms of fatigue, fever and irritating coughs are asked to refrain from attending club sessions until they are cleared of the symptoms in compliance with the Covid-19 guidelines and the required Government restrictions. Please use basic common sense - if you don’t feel well ‘Stay at home!’
2. All members will be required to wear a face mask and gloves upon entry to the building, using the Front gate and inner entrance doors.
3. All members will be asked to wash hands and use sanitiser gel/spray/wipes upon ‘check-in’.
4. Members will be allocated designated seating areas around the hall at a 2 metre distance from each seat. Members are asked to observe the social distancing required when not actively fencing.
5. In good weather, members often fence outdoors in the parking area behind the building. The same restrictions regarding social distancing will be observed outdoors.
6. The changing rooms will be monitored with no more than 2-4 persons per change.
7. The shower room can be used for 1-2 persons.
8. Changing rooms and toilets will be accessed through a ‘one way system’ using the ‘entry’ door from the main hall to the ‘exit’ door near the toilets.
9. The discipline of fencing requires 2 combatants to fight with a starting distance of 4 metres. Close quarter fencing is rarely used and members are asked to refrain from this tactic while we remain under special measures. Bodily contact is strictly prohibited. As a normal part of club fencing, protective clothing, including a mask and glove, is worn. The traditional handshake at the conclusion of a match will be prohibited. A simple ‘sword salute’ is deemed appropriate. Where fencers are awaiting access to a fencing piste or watching a fencing match the “rule of 6” will be observed.
10. Access to the kitchen for water will be monitored with no more than 2 persons entering at a time.
11. All club equipment will be sanitised - anti-bacterial spray for jackets and masks and anti-bacterial spray/wipes for sword handles and other equipment. Where the club provides protective clothing, swords, or other equipment to members, the members will keep this clothing or equipment for their personal use only until the pandemic has finished.
12. Before vacating the building all door handles, surfaces, taps and anything that has come into contact with members will be sanitised with anti-bacterial wipes.
13. Our normal Thursday evening session is from 18:00 to 21:30. Younger members tend to arrive and depart in the first part of the evening, older members tend to arrive later. Although we may have approximately 20 members fencing in the course of an evening, it is very rare to have more than 10-15 present at one time. The hall is large and it will be easily possible to maintain social distancing for a group this size.
14. Younger members are sometimes brought to the hall by a parent who may stay until their child has finished fencing. The same rules regarding masks, hand washing, social distancing, etc. will be applied to these parents.
15. All new members and fencing visitors will be required to provide their address and telephone number for contact tracing purposes. Non-fencing visitors will provide name and telephone number.
