Coaches & Committee
Kevin Nelson BSc. P.G.C.E.
Chairman, COVID-19 Contact, and Head Coach
Qualifications : BAF Level 3 Epee, 4 Foil and 3 Sabre, First Aid, scUK Safeguarding and Protecting Children, Enhanced CRB Checked, BDFA Coaching Disabled Fencers, Referee level 1 Foil & Epee.
Kevin learned to fence at Cotswold Fencing Club, more than 20 years ago, he took up fencing to keep fit. He started fencing foil and was a social fencer for many years. Eventually he moved onto sabre and then started competing. Kevin has been officially coaching at Cotswold since July 2006, being trained at the British Academy to coach foil, sabre,and epee. He took over as Chairman of Cotswold in December 2009.
He also coaches at Dean Close School, Cheltenham Ladies College, Kings School in Worcester and Gloucester, St Francis Primary, and Berhampsted Prep School. Kevin has attended a number of inclusion based courses including the British Disabled Fencing Associations “Coaching Disabled Fencers”. In September 2014 Kevin became a full time professional fencing coach, coaching under the trading name of Cotswold Cutlass, and has since set up two sattelite clubs (one in Cirencester, and the other in Tewkesbury). Keen to continue with his own development has taken and passed 2 British Fencing level 3 coaching awards (Sabre & Foil), and taken Referee level one exams at both Foil and epee. While continuing to expand fencing in the county.
Kevin is now also the COVID-19 Officer (as required by BF), and will be responsible for the clubs COVID-19 responses (All paperwork will be approved by the Cotswold Fencing Club committee).
Kevin can be contacted on cotswoldfencingclub@gmail.com or for private lessons cotswoldcutlass@gmail.com
Craig Jinks
Welfare and Safeguarding Officer & Coach
To contact Craig regarding welfare or safeguarding matters email welfarecotswoldfencing@gmail.com
Andrew Oakley
Treasurer
Andrew has been fencing since 2013 and was previously our Secretary
Andrew can be contacted on cotswoldfencingsecretary@gmail.com
David Sysum
Competition Officer
Matthew Hopkinson
Armorer