Parent’s pride as fishing is recognised as ‘one of the safest sporting activities’ for children and young people

Get Fishing with the kids this Easter: Child Protection Unit in Sport findings prove fishing is a ‘fun, safe and friendly’ sport

Fishing families and parents looking for new ways to entertain their children can be assured that angling is one of the safest sports for young people to try, thanks to recent Angling Trust recognition by the Child Protection Unit in Sport Unit (CPSU) of its safeguarding policies and procedures.

The CPSU says its ‘Standards’ have been met during a period of growth in the sport following a national exodus to the great outdoors during the pandemic, with Angling Trust safeguarding officials ensuring fishing environments across the country continue to thrive.

Safeguarding embedded include staff and volunteer recruitment through to ensuring health and safety and risk assessment practices are carried out in blue green spaces. Staff and volunteers are also trained in spotting the signs of issues a child may be facing in their daily lives and signposting to further support.

The Angling Trust says its findings prove that fishing is a fun, safe and friendly activity that provides a gateway to the outdoors and a wealth of health and wellbeing benefits.

The Angling Trust was praised too for having good practice examples that can be shared with other organisations, including setting high standards of safeguarding training, and monitoring. The report states “Other sports could benefit from the Angling Trust approach to training and monitoring their coaching membership.”

On this point Richard Hadley, Lead Safeguarding Officer at the Angling Trust commented: “We have an open-door approach for all organisations both within the angling community and indeed, from other sports too, and will always listen to issues where we can help with developing their standards. We want sport as a whole to become as safe as possible. When participants, parents, carers and coaches too can feel safe doing what they enjoy, people can spend more time focussed on just enjoying the activity. Fishing should always be ‘fun, safe and friendly’ and the “MET” standard is a great endorsement of this.”

Will Smith, father of two and Angling Promotions Manager at the Angling Trust, expressed his pride for the findings ahead of planning a busy summer calendar of events for families. He said: “The Child Protection Unit in Sport findings uphold our commitment to ensuring that angling is one of the safest sports in the country. Going fishing allows children to have fun at the same time as building confidence, learning a new skill and spending quality time, connecting with nature. As a parent and an employee of the Angling Trust, I’m proud of the opportunities we create to help young people discover fishing. With robust standards in place, we can offer the ideal environment for children and young people to truly embrace safe and healthy activity by going fishing, as well as experiencing the wider benefits that angling can bring to their daily lives.”

Amidst surging popularity of exploring the great outdoors over the last two years, more than 35,000 families took part in fishing events  last year thanks to the Angling Trust’s ‘Get Fishing’ summer initiative.

Richard Hadley, Lead Safeguarding Officer added : “These findings uphold our commitment to ensuring that angling is one of the safest sports in the country. Going fishing allows children to have fun at the same time as building confidence, learning a new skill and spending quality time, connecting with nature. As a parent and an employee of the Angling Trust, I’m proud of the opportunities we create to help young people discover fishing. With robust standards in place, we can offer the ideal environment for children and young people to truly embrace safe and healthy activity by going fishing, as well as experiencing the wider benefits that angling can bring to their daily lives.”

Brendan Tonks, from the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) said of the Angling Trust’s achievement: “Despite a difficult year, owing to Covid-19, the Angling Trust has continued to embed safeguarding across the organisation. Moving forwards, the Angling Trust can reflect on how they influence safeguarding at a grassroots level, in terms of ensuring that safe and best practice is adhered to at a club level.”

For more information on child safeguarding in angling, including guidance for parents, young people and raising concerns, visit https://anglingtrust.net/safeguarding/

ENDS

Contact for this news article: Katy Davies: [email protected]

Richard Hadley
Lead Safeguarding Officer
Tel: 07720 974811