We Fish As One campaign champion partners with Staffordshire Women’s Aid

Senior NHS Nurse and Carp Team England angler Aimee Eaton will this month partner with Staffordshire Women’s Aid to host the first in a series of fishing events funded by the Angling Trust.

Aimee, 36, joined the Angling Trust’s We Fish As One as a campaign champion in 2022 to champion the sport among women affected by domestic violence and abuse to highlight the positive role angling can play in wellbeing.
 
She has been a passionate advocate for empowering women in the sport following sharing her own experiences of domestic violence and abuse and how fishing has helped her mental health and wellbeing.

Aimee was successful in applying for the Get Fishing Fund, which reinvests fishing licence income to support projects that help get people fishing. The Get Fishing Fund is funded by the Environment Agency and managed by the Angling Trust to ensure community projects can access the financial support they require to encourage new people into angling.

Aimee has undertaken the voluntary role of coordinating the day’s activities with consultation from Staffordshire Women’s Aid to ensure the event meets the needs of the women involved and provides a safe and welcoming opportunity to give fishing a try.

Joining Ladies Carp Team England in 2021 provided a turning point in Aimee’s personal recovery and she has channelled her passion into ‘Reel Recovery’, a series of four events that will take place this month through to next spring.

Aimee Eaton says: “After successfully applying for funding from the Angling Trust I’m really pleased this event will provide an opportunity for women affected by domestic violence and abuse to try fishing for the first time. When I started this journey in fishing event planning with Staffordshire Women’s Aid, I had no idea how much demand there would be to attend. There is already a waitlist of women keen to attend future events. Through these events, I hope to raise awareness among any women affected and through wider charities and support groups that fishing can be part of anyone’s recovery journey in our communities. I know how fortunate I am to have angling in my armoury as an aid to my own recovery. This event will allow others that may have never had an introduction to the sport, an opportunity to experience the many benefits angling has to offer. I also would like other anglers to consider taking a more active role in their communities with groups they are keen to support. Without the help and support of people I have met through a shared love of angling, I would have been unable to organise and run this exciting series of events.”

Each event, which will host 10 women, has been developed in partnership with Staffordshire Women’s Aid, an organisation close to Aimee’s heart. Its aim will be to highlight the transformative benefits of angling, connecting with nature and making time to cultivate peace in the company of other women with lived experience.

Angling Trust Head of Participation, Clive Copeland, says: “Aimee is a fantastic and proactive member of the angling community who has stepped forward to help the lives of others by sharing a sport she knows, loves and excels in. We couldn’t have developed this community activity without Aimee’s tenacity and it is a great example to everyone in angling about how you can volunteer within the community to make a difference, backed by Angling Trust support. Angling has life-changing benefits for all and we are always keen to build our network of We Fish As One campaign champions to ensure we reach priority audiences in our communities to provide new and sustainable opportunities to fish more often.”

Staffordshire Women’s Aid is a charitable and voluntary organisation that has been providing services for women and children living with, fleeing or recovering from the impact of domestic and sexual violence in Staffordshire since 1976.

Donna Hollinshead, from Staffordshire Women’s Aid, says: “Aimee used our services during a difficult time in her life. Since then, she has continued to stay in touch and kept us up to date with all her fishing achievements.  Last year Aimee approached us with the fishing trip idea as a way of supporting other women who had experienced domestic abuse.  We were thrilled to support Aimee with this project, which will allow the women we support to learn new skills, build confidence and enjoy a beautiful day out in the countryside. The first trip is fully booked with more women hoping to have an opportunity to attend at a later date. Staffordshire Women’s Aid would like to thank the Angling Trust and the Environment Agency for the funding they provided through the Get Fishing Fund.  Most importantly, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Aimee for planning and organising this event.  Aimee truly is an inspiration.”

The Get Fishing Fund is currently closed but any further on the fund and updates on future funding rounds can be found at www.anglingtrust.net/funding/get-fishing-fund.

Aimee also appears in this CARP Team England video made to celebrate International Women’s Day 2022 at 4m 01s