This academic year has witnessed an unprecedented surge in numbers joining the Fencing Club and our move to only holding club sessions as an evening activity has not appeared to deter eager first formers and a few older pupils from taking up this wonderfully dynamic sport. Each year the club works hard to improve upon its previous successes and the 2010-2011 season has been one of our most successful to date. Thanks to the coaching expertise of former pupil CLARKE LITTLE and expert sabreur DAVID JACKSON, junior fencers have been able to work on improving their performance and technique and benefit from one-to-one coaching. We have also introduced a new British Fencing Achievement Award system whereby pupils can work towards completing levels of competency in the sport and earn recognition for the progress they have made. I am pleased to report that all of our members have successfully completed Level 1 of this award system and many are working towards Levels 2 and 3 at the time of going to print.

The club has also been awarded the prestigious Clubmark endorsement by Sport Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council, which recognises our hard work in ensuring that all members receive quality coaching and competition. We are very honoured to be the only fencing club in Northern Ireland to have received this award and it is a testament to the efforts of the Fencing Club committee members in the last year. Aside from our normal training sessions, it has been a busy season with Grosvenor pupils representing the school in competitions in Northern Ireland, mainland U.K. and Europe. Above all, it has been pleasing to see our musketeer fencers participating in their first ever competitions and volunteering at national events, representing Grosvenor Fencing Club with pride.

Notable successes this season include:

NORTH WEST OPEN – MENS’ FOIL

Gold – Clarke Little
Silver – Tony Eve

NORTH WEST OPEN – WOMENS’ FOIL

Silver – Chloe Lopez - Colclough

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 16 BOY’S FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Gold – David Patterson
Silver – Tony Eve

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 14 BOYS’ FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Gold – Stephen Brown

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 16 GIRLS’ FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Silver – Chloe Lopez - Colclough

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 16 BOYS’ FOIL

Gold – David Patterson
Silver – Tony Eve

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 14 BOYS’ FOIL

Gold – Stephen Brown
Bronze – Paul Pruzina

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 12 BOYS’ FOIL

Bronze – Gareth Reid

IRISH OPEN - MENS’ FOIL

Bronze – Clarke Little

DERRY OPEN – MENS’ FOIL

Bronze - Clarke Little

NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN – MEN’S FOIL

Silver - Clarke Little

NORTH DOWN OPEN – UNDER 14 BOY’S FOIL

Gold - Samuel Gourley Silver - Stewart McClune

BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

NORTH WEST OPEN – MENS’ FOIL

Gold – Clarke Little
Silver – Tony Eve

NORTH WEST OPEN – WOMENS’ FOIL

Silver – Chloe Lopez - Colclough

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 16 BOY’S FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Gold – David Patterson
Silver – Tony Eve

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 14 BOYS’ FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Gold – Stephen Brown

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 16 GIRLS’ FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Silver – Chloe Lopez - Colclough

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 16 BOYS’ FOIL

Gold – David Patterson
Silver – Tony Eve

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 14 BOYS’ FOIL

Gold – Stephen Brown
Bronze – Paul Pruzina

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 12 BOYS’ FOIL

Bronze – Gareth Reid

IRISH OPEN - MENS’ FOIL

Bronze – Clarke Little

DERRY OPEN – MENS’ FOIL

Bronze - Clarke Little

NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN – MEN’S FOIL

Silver - Clarke Little

NORTH DOWN OPEN – UNDER 14 BOY’S FOIL

Gold - Samuel Gourley Silver - Stewart McClune

BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS NORTH WEST OPEN – MENS’ FOIL

Gold – Clarke Little
Silver – Tony Eve

NORTH WEST OPEN – WOMENS’ FOIL

Silver – Chloe Lopez - Colclough

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 16 BOY’S FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Gold – David Patterson
Silver – Tony Eve

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 14 BOYS’ FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Gold – Stephen Brown

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES EVENT UNDER 16 GIRLS’ FOIL OVERALL STANDINGS

Silver – Chloe Lopez - Colclough

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 16 BOYS’ FOIL

Gold – David Patterson
Silver – Tony Eve

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 14 BOYS’ FOIL

Gold – Stephen Brown
Bronze – Paul Pruzina

CELTIC OPEN – JUNIOR FOIL SERIES FINAL EVENT UNDER 12 BOYS’ FOIL

Bronze – Gareth Reid

IRISH OPEN - MENS’ FOIL

Bronze – Clarke Little

DERRY OPEN – MENS’ FOIL

Bronze - Clarke Little

NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN – MEN’S FOIL

Silver - Clarke Little

NORTH DOWN OPEN – UNDER 14 BOY’S FOIL

Gold - Samuel Gourley Silver - Stewart McClune

BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

17 Grosvenor members qualified for B.Y.C. finals in Sheffield – a record number. There were qualifiers in all boys’ age groups and our girl entrants all won medals and qualified. In total, our fencers won 5 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze medals in different age categories - a superb achievement!

I extend my sincere thanks to our coaches Clarke and David for their help this season and to MRS SANDRA MARTIN and all the parents who dedicate a vast amount of time to the club, giving up evenings and weekends to support our fencers. Finally, the club would like to thank MR MCLOUGHLIN and the Board of Governors for their continued support.

MISS J LEE (COACH)