Get Fishing Fund – Funded Project: Scouts, Cubs and Brownies get into fishing at fishing licence funded beginner sessions

Horsham and District Angling Association (H&DAA) held 3 “Get Fishing” events run with local Scout, Cub and Brownie groups. This way of organizing events worked really well, as the club was able to give large numbers of children the chance to try fishing thanks to The Get Fishing Fund provided by the Environment Agency and administered by the Angling Trust. The fund has invested nearly £200,000 of fishing licence money to help get more people into fishing over the past year!

Oliver Wright from H&DAA told us:

“Given how well this all went, and because of the Get Fishing Fund grant, the club now has a suitable range of equipment funded by the Environment Agency, and we plan to repeat the events every year from now on.

Over 70 children took part in the events – most had never been fishing before – but they were all very successful and extremely enthusiastic. The leaders of the various groups that took part were very complimentary about the events, a situation helped by perfect summer evenings and large numbers of fish caught!

Events were fun and well-supervised with members of the Cub, Scout and Brownie groups on hand along with volunteers from the club to provide angling supervision and tuition.

I’m now planning to run a few follow up groups later in the year open to children who came to the first events. I should also add that even though the events involved quite a lot of organization, it’s been worthwhile and really beneficial for Horsham and District Angling Association. Those members who helped with the events found the experience very rewarding!

The Get Fishing Funded events have galvanized interest in minor and junior anglers at committee level and all throughout the club. On the back of this and the Get Fishing Fund grant we received, the club has now got reserved membership spaces for new junior members, most of which have been filled already! We’ve also  frozen membership rates for junior members.”

Graham Mabey, the Angling Trust’s Regional Angling Development Officer for the South of England added:

“This is a brilliant example of a forward-thinking and creative angling club that has used its Get Fishing Fund award to grow it’s junior membership and thus help ensure its own future is stronger. I would urge any club representatives that want to apply the same approach to contact your Angling Trust Regional Angling Development Officer and get free advice on all of the opportunities available via the Angling Trust and our partnership with the Environment Agency, including licence waivers for events, funding and equipment, when available.”

You can read more about H&DAA’s Get Fishing events in their excellent blog posts More fishing events for children and Children’s fishing event at Foxhole.

This project is one of over 200 projects nationally that have benefitted from an investment from the Get Fishing Fund.

The Get Fishing Fund has invested nearly £200,000 of fishing licence money to help get more people into fishing over the past year. The fund is provided by the Environment Agency and administered by the Angling Trust.

You can find information on the latest round of the Get Fishing Fund here, or please contact Chris Holden, Get Fishing Fund Administrator, Angling Trust on 07852 406912 or [email protected]

What is the Get Fishing Fund?

The Get Fishing Fund has invested nearly £200,000 of fishing licence money to help get more people into fishing over the past year. The fund is provided by the Environment Agency and administered by the Angling Trust. The Environment Agency supports angling-based projects with grants of up to £2,500 to help purchase equipment, fishing tackle, resources and run fishing activities that give people the opportunity to get into fishing for the first time.

About Get Fishing

Get Fishing is the Angling Trust‘s campaign to grow participation in angling and get more people fishing more often. Annually, the Get Fishing campaign introduces over 30,000 people to angling 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 fishing licence, and fishing 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 fishing licence for the full year, for 8 days (ideal for holidays!) or just a day’s fishing.

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.