How the Together Fund from Sport England has helped priority angling projects

Working with Sport England – £150,000 of Together Fund for priority angling projects

By James Roche, Regional Angling Development Manager, North of England

In early 2022 the Get Fishing Team successfully bid for part of Sport England’s Together Fund. The fund helps community projects assist priority audiences to be physically again active after Covid-19 impacted their participation in sport or activity somehow, thus reducing the pandemic’s effect on public health.

The Get Fishing Team at the Angling Trust assessed and distributed funding to 40 such projects working with low socio-economic groups, culturally diverse communities, disabled people and those with long term health conditions or disabilities.

Sometimes just a small amount of funding is all that’s needed to unlock angling’s ability to reach into these target groups. When even simple things like the right kit, or just being able to run a class can make the difference, this generous award from Sport England will go a long way so that many more people from priority groups benefit from angling’s ability to encourage and maintain an active life.

The assessment process is necessarily rigorous, as we are using taxpayer’s money, but it is worthwhile because as I write this, funding is already making its way to the communities, and I am hearing early reports about events and activities being run to activate or maintain an on-going angling habit. These were only made possible by Together Fund grants.

The Get Fishing Team appreciate the opportunity to help trickle-down government funding by working so closely with Sport England on the Together Fund. It’s exactly what the Angling Trust’s status as National Governing Body can achieve with the support of our community and a strong membership. Be sure to keep an eye out for good-news stories later this year.

More info at www.anglingtrust.net/funding/together-fund

James

James Roche, Angling Development Manager (North of England) Angling Trust
[email protected]

Notes: General Enquiries about this article: James Roche:[email protected]

The Together Fund
The Together Fund is a Sport England funding stream to reduce the negative impact of Covid-19 and assist community groups working with the target audiences, to grow and help more people. Find out more at www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/our-funds/together-fund.

The Angling Trust uses its Together Fund award from Sport England to support community projects working with people whose involvement with sport or physical activity has been affected by the pandemic. These priority groups are:

1. Low socio-economic groups
2. Culturally diverse communities
3. Disabled people
4. People with long term health conditions

More info about the Together Fund: www.anglingtrust.net/funding/together-fund – please contact James Roche before applying.

The Get Fishing campaign to get more people fishing is the Angling Trust‘s campaign to grow participation in angling. Annually over 35,000 people get the opportunity to fish at hundreds of fun, safe and friendly events funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income as part of the National Angling Strategic Services contract with the Angling Trust, and Sport England. Children under 13 do not need a licence, and licences for children aged between 13 and 16 are free but you still need to register and receive a licence in order to go fishing. You can get a licence for the full year, for 8 days (ideal for holidays!) or just a day’s fishing.

NOTE: Although young children who are under 13 year old do not need a licence to fish, the person supervising them needs the proper fishing licence to take hold of the rod or to help the child fish with it.

The Angling Trust’s ‘Get Fishing’ campaign is proudly supported by
Shakespeare, Exclusive Tackle Partner and Angling Direct, Exclusive Retail Partner
as we all work towards getting more people fishing, more often.