“Other than basic administration costs, all funds are spent on applicants. The trustees are all volunteers and do not claim expenses for their work. All overheads are minimized.”
The Sabre Trust was given registered charity status in April 2015. Charity Number: 1161190
Our Mission
The Sabre Trust provides funding for disabled individuals who are interested in fencing or coaching the sport of fencing. This includes assistance for people who wish to compete at local or international level.
After London 2012, UK Sport withdrew funding for the sport of wheelchair fencing. Athletes were faced with the prospect of having to give up the sport. Viv Mills cashed in her own savings and set up the Sabre Trust in order to provide a level of support that would otherwise not be available for the international athletes.
The Sabre Trust continues to support Great Britain's fencers. Piers Gilliver secured UK Sport funding after Montreal 2015, and Dimitri Coutya was also added to UK Sport's portfolio, however they are the only fencers to have such support.
How the Sabre trust support workS
- Funding to enable athletes to compete at international competitions
- Funding to enable athletes to attend training camps, at home and abroad
- Meeting the costs of fencing and coaching equipment
- Providing funds to cover training and coaching expenses
Application & Assessment Panel
Upon receiving a completed application, the form is sent to an assessor for enquiries to be made. Once a month the assessors meet and consider all the outstanding applications. Typically a decision on funding will be made within 28 days of an application being made.
Application Criteria
- Lives in the United Kingdom
- Has any sort of disability
- Has a desire to try any form of fencing
- May also want funds to help them to compete or coach in the sport of fencing
Assessment Panel
Once a month the trustees and assessors meet to discuss Trust business, including outstanding applications. The applications are looked at with a number of issues in mind. There is a maximum amount that can be awarded to a single applicant in a financial year. Applications are viewed as a part payment for a particular project, so the trustees need to know how the remainder of the funds will be met. All cost are looked at to see if the funds requested are to be spent effectively. All decisions are made as a group.
We can provide a fencing experience for anyone with any level of disability.
Non-grant costs
The monthly meetings are held in premises provided free of charge. The Trustees do not charge for their services, and do not claim expenses. Basic administration, stationery, postage, t-shirts and promotional items and other ancillary costs are met by Viv Mills from her personal funds and are then offset and treated as a donation to the Sabre Trust, from which Gift Aid is recovered.
