Brixton childrens’ fencing sessions resume with support from the Leus Family Foundation

Brixton childrens’ fencing sessions resume with support from the Leus Family Foundation


Junior fencing began again at the Brixton Fencing Club on 21 April after sporting lessons had to pause during the pandemic. The Imperium Sessions, which are free lessons offered to local school children, also restarted on 23 April.

The Imperium Sessions are designed to encourage participation by children from the who might not otherwise have access to a sport like fencing. These sessions are funded by the Leus Family Foundation, founded by Dmitry Leus, former European fencing champion.

Some flexibility has been needed to get the children back into their sport as the lockdown has eased. Brixton Fencing Club’s usual venue in the Recreation Centre is still being used as a food bank and so the fencing lessons have been moved to 5-a-side football pitch.

The Fencing Club say that this temporary venue has been a good enough substitute with the lower numbers that lessons may accommodate at this stage in the UK’s lifting of the lockdown.

Chris Tidmarsh QC, Committee Chair of the Brixton Fencing Club, explained:

“Before 21 April we ran online exercise classes which worked well, but the juniors are clearly delighted to be back in person to renew their techniques and their friendships.

We still have to observe many requirements such as social distancing, risk checks and attendance of COVID officer at every session, but the children’s enthusiasm makes it all worthwhile.”

Dmitry Leus, who is also Honorary President and Patron of the Brixton Fencing Club, commented on his foundation’s support for the drive to get local school children back to their free sessions:

“The pandemic has been especially hard on the youngest members of our society, especially with months of in-person schooling missed.  We know the lockdown hit the most vulnerable the hardest.

For our Foundation to help in any small way to get kids exercising, building confidence and learning the skills and discipline that we gain from sport – for me that is incredibly meaningful.

Fencing transformed my own life as a child and I love to see the same impact taking place with children in London.”

Chris Tidmarsh QC added:

“None of this would be possible without the sterling support of Dmitry and the staff at the Brixton Recreation Centre.  Dmitry’s sponsorship of the Imperium Sessions allows us to offer free fencing lessons to local school children.

Also, when our Fencing Club faced difficulties during the pandemic, as our expenses exceeded our income, Dmitry’s Foundation stood firmly by our side offering financial support to keep our community sporting association going.”

Dmitry Leus: ‘It is a joy to help – this is not an easy time to be young’

Dmitry Leus: ‘It is a joy to help – this is not an easy time to be young’

From children’s hospitals to fallen police officers to ‘Buzzy’ pain distraction, Dmitry Leus’s foundation helps dozens of good causes. It’s been quite a journey for the entrepreneur and former European fencing champion…

Despite growing up in humble circumstances in 1970s Turkmenistan – then part of the Soviet Union – Dmitry Leus’s childhood was rich in adventure and imbued with a strong sense of community. So Leus, founder and CEO of London-based property developer Imperium Investments, understands better than most the importance of supporting and inspiring children and young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – indeed, he founded the Leus Family Foundation to do just that.

Recently awarded official charitable status by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the foundation’s work has become even more important during the Covid-19 pandemic as experts warn that a generation of children, particularly those from poorer households, could see their life chances negatively impacted by the privations they are currently suffering.

“This is not an easy time to be young,” says Leus, father to four sons. “Youngsters in the UK are learning at home with no in-person schooling, unemployment figures are rising and those job losses are impacting families. What a tough time to be leaving school or university and trying to make your way into a career. I empathise with young people at this time.”

One cause that is close to Leus’s heart is encouraging children to take part in sport. As a teenager, he was in the Turkmen National Fencing Team, becoming European champion at the age of 17.

“My business mindset was created in the gymnasiums and competition halls of my teenage years and the spirit that it forged is what helps me through all other aspects of my life,” he says. “This is how the character is formed.”

Leus is patron and honorary president of Brixton Fencing Club in southeast London, which is funding free fencing lessons for children from low-income families and organising tournaments.

“I want to get more kids involved – kids from all walks of life,” Leus says. “I believe that there is a future European, maybe even Olympic, champion in Brixton and I want to find them.”

Full House: Leus at a fundraising event for the St George’s Hospital Charity at the House of Commons

The foundation, which Leus leads alongside directors Michael Wynne-Parker KCLJ and Manjit K Gill MBE, also has a longstanding relationship with St George’s Hospital Charity which supports the work of St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London. In March 2019, Leus funded child-friendly pain distraction devices for every child’s bed in St George’s – each Buzzy, as the devices are called, comes in cheerful, cartoonish form, for example a bumble bee or an insect, and, when placed against the skin, vibrates to distract attention from blood being taken or injections administered.

At the height of the pandemic, in December 2020, a new look Children’s Garden was unveiled at St George’s, funded by the foundation and bringing some much-needed colour in the bleakest of midwinters. Play areas have been extended and improved with a new slide and better wheelchair access, while a new seating area is being installed.

“This garden will lift spirits and hopefully provide moments of joy and relaxation between treatments,” Leus says.

As well as strengthening existing relationships through the pandemic, the Leus Family Foundation has added to its philanthropic portfolio, forging new collaborations.

It responded to urgent appeals from charities for the Royal Free Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital and St George’s Hospital to support doctors and nurses on the frontline through care packages, mental health provision and the creation of respite spaces for staff. Leus also donated to Runnymede Food Bank, which he visited in May 2020.

He is also an ambassador for HealthProm, a UK-based charity working to support vulnerable children and their families in eastern Europe, Central Asia and Afghanistan, and Patron of Binti International, a charity whose vision is to ensure every girl and woman in the world has menstrual dignity. And, as a policeman’s son, he feels a personal affiliation to Care of Police Survivors (COPS), a charity dedicated to supporting the families of police officers and staff who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The Leus Family Foundation is now looking for further opportunities to help where and when it’s needed and, in 2021, plans to bolster its organisation with people who have extensive experience in the charity sector.

“Having received official charitable status affirms our commitment to our causes and those we work with in the future,” Leus says. “It is a joy that our foundation is able to help so many young people and it is so rewarding to see the direct benefit that our support has brought to their lives.”

For a full list of charity partners and further information on projects undertaken by The Leus Family Foundation, please visit here

Source: The Times & The Sunday Times

The former fencing champion Dmitry Leus sparring for young people’s wellbeing

The former fencing champion Dmitry Leus sparring for young people’s wellbeing

By William Ramsey

Dmitry Leus, of the Leus Family Foundation, is working hard to combat the aftermath of the lockdown.

As the UK’s impressive vaccination rate continues and the roadmap towards the country opening up again is visible, if not entirely fixed, the aftermath of this locked down year is already on the mind of Dmitry Leus.

The London-based entrepreneur and former European fencing champion heads the Leus Family Foundation, which was recently awarded official charitable status by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and the welfare of young people and their families is at the heart of the foundation’s mission.

The Leus Family Foundation was founded long before COVID-19 hit and the focus has always been on young people. But the intense impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing of young people has added urgency to the Foundation’s work.

Experts have made very clear the impact of the pandemic on the young. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, recently told The Times that although children may not have fallen ill in large numbers from Coronavirus, they have “paid a huge price for the measures we’ve had to take to contain it”.

In the same Times report, Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of Sage, warned of the potentially catastrophic “collateral damage” to children.

“There’s a real question about how much of that is a wound that heals and how much of it will lead to long-term scarring,” he explained.

“We can talk about what we think the loss of education will do; we can say what we think the harms are around mental health. But it’s also the more subtle stuff. Have we shifted a whole generation towards anxiety and being more risk-averse? Have we shifted a whole generation away from physical contact, and all the things that come with human contact that bring benefits to us? Those are all the things we don’t know.”

The toll that the pandemic has taken on the younger generation is worrying to Dmitry Leus.

He said: “This has been a tough year for everyone. But I think our young people might be the ones suffering the longest lasting impact of this unusual year. They are still developing and their characters are still forming.

What we know for sure is that we have babies who were born into a lockdown situation, toddlers who have never seen anyone outside their home without a mask, teens who have had their wings clipped just as they should be socialising independently and university students listening to lectures on Zoom in their childhood bedrooms. 

We do not yet know the full impact that this isolated year will have had on them. We will still be trying to understand that in years to come. What we do know is that this generation will need our support.”

The practical challenges that the young generation faces are a priority for him: “Imagine being 18-years-old right now. Or 21. Finishing school or university. It must feel a little bleak. How has this crazy year affected your university chances? Will you be able to get a job when you graduate, given the post-pandemic economic difficulties we are likely to endure for years to come?”

However, it seems his approach is one of solutions and finding answers: “Our Foundation’s response to this problem will be to continue to target where we see the most need. Our sporting programme, helping disadvantaged children in South London to experience fencing and all the confidence-building and discipline that sporting life can deliver is one example. This is the kind of area where we can give the young a real boost.

“We know that the pandemic conditions have been extra tough for families with children with chronic illness, so supporting causes like St George’s Hospital Charity will remain a priority.”

At the height of the pandemic, the Leus Family Foundation responded to urgent appeals from charities for the Royal Free Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital and St George’s Hospital to support doctors and nurses on the frontline through care packages, mental health provision and the creation of respite spaces for staff. It also donated to Runnymede Food Bank.

Founder of the Leus Family Foundation, Dimitry Leus FRSA, is also honorary president of Brixton Fencing Club Founder of the Leus Family Foundation, Dimitry Leus FRSA
Founder of the Leus Family Foundation, Dimitry Leus FRSA, is also honorary president of Brixton Fencing Club (Image: Leus Family Foundation)

Dmitry said: “Those collaborations will continue to be important for us, as sadly there will still be hungry families as we climb out of this pandemic situation and we want to help where we can, especially to improve the life opportunities for children.

“We know that we’re all in for some challenging times ahead. The most important thing we can do is to stay positive and always look for ways in which we can make a difference. For our Foundation, that means targeting young people and their families to ensure that we build for the future by creating better chances for the next generation”.

He concludes on a characteristically positive note: “We do know that resilience is one of the most important qualities that we can have in this modern world and I have no doubt that this young generation has been building their resilience throughout the pandemic.

“But they need a helping hand now and we owe it to them. Essentially, they sacrificed a lot to help protect the old and the vulnerable and now we need to repair any damage and help this young generation.”

Source: Kent Live News

Fencers welcome equipment gift

Fencers welcome equipment gift

24 March, 2019


By Brixtonblog.com


Imperium Investments has donated equipment to Brixton Fencing Club for senior fencers including one electric wireless set for recording hits while fencing and four ordinary spool systems.

The donation is part of Imperium Invest­ments’ sustained initiative to assist the club to allow children from across Lambeth to experience fencing through lessons and access to the club’s facilities.

The company’s managing director Dmitry Leus, a former European fencing champion, said: “Sport can play a transformative role in a person’s life. It is not only about excelling at the sport itself.

“There are also tremendous life skills to be gained from dedicated training and the experience of competition.

“We are delighted to play a role in bringing the sport of fencing to local children and to work in close cooperation with the Brixton Fencing Club.”

Chris Tidmarsh QC, chairman of the club’s committee. welcomed the donation, saying: “Brixton Fencing Club was founded in 2004 and has always aimed to make the sport of fencing more accessible to local children. The equipment will help us enormously with that aim for many years to come.”

Brixton Rec to be home for new kids’ fencing project

Brixton Rec to be home for new kids’ fencing project

Chris Tidmarsh, Paul Sanchez Lethem and Dmitry Leus at Brixton Rec


By Brixton Blog


Imperium Investments and the Brixton Fencing Club have joined forces in a campaign to allow children across Lambeth to experience fencing.

The initiative, called the Imperium Academy, is designed to make the sport more accessible to local youngsters. The academy will contact children via schools and offer free and subsidised training. It will also donate new equipment to the Brixton Fencing Club to enhance the experience of children having their first taste of the sport at Brixton Rec.

Imperium Investment’s managing director and founder, Dmitry Leus, is a patron of the sport and was once a European champion. “Fencing is a fantastic sport, one that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy,” he said.

The Rec was a perfect partner for the academy, given its history of hosting the Brixton Fencing Club, one of the most successful clubs in the country, he said. Chris Tidmarsh, chairman of the club’s committee, said it was delighted to play a role at the new academy.

“It is so important that this great sport be open and accessible to all,” he said. “Yes, we’d love to be giving some future champions their first start, but we are also passionate about exposing as many kids as possible to the life skills and commitment that come from getting involved in fencing.

“We are sometimes unfairly viewed as an elitist sport and we want to be sure our doors are open.” Paul Sanchez, the UK’s top ranked male fencer, trains at the Rec and is fully behind the project. “This is a great initiative to get kids of all backgrounds trying out the sport,” he said. “Maybe one of them could soon be after my ranking!”

Fencing for everyone in Brixton

Fencing for everyone in Brixton

Dmitry Leus at the Brixton Fencing Club


By Brixton Blog.com


Dmitry Leus, a former fencing champion, believes that the sport could help to bring people together as well as help children through tough times and he will be testing out those ideas in Brixton.

Dmitry himself came from humble beginnings and social unrest, from a town far smaller than Brixton, but, he says, through grit, determination and perseverance he became an unlikely champion.

Imperium Investments, a company set up by Dmitry, wants to make the sport fun and accessible and to help everyone from kids looking to make a start all the way to those at competition level.

“Fencing can benefit people physically and mentally. It’s disciplined but, most of all, it can be fun,” he says. “I want to get more kids involved, kids from all walks of life, everyone is welcome.”

Imperium has donated to the British Fencing Charity so that three of Britain’s brightest stars can attend the under-23 European championships this year.

Later this year Imperium hopes to bring fencing to state schools across Lambeth and will be kicking off everything with an open day in Brixton.

“I believe that there is a future European, maybe even Olympic, champion in Brixton and I want to find them,” says Dmitry.