Angling Trust and Fish Legal honour long-standing volunteers at special lunch

The Angling Trust and Fish Legal recently paid tribute to nine of their longest-serving volunteers at a special lunch held in their honour. The event, hosted at the historic Fishmongers’ Hall on the banks of the River Thames, was a celebration of the invaluable contributions made by volunteers to both organisations.

The lunch was generously provided free of charge by the Fishmongers’ Company in recognition of the work undertaken by the Angling Trust and Fish Legal. The two organisations expressed their deep gratitude for the Fishmongers’ kind and generous hospitality.

The volunteers were carefully selected from across all areas of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal, representing years of dedicated service and commitment to the cause of angling and environmental conservation. The lunch was attended by the Chairs of both organisations, Eric Prescott and George Graham, alongside Martin Salter, Head of Policy at the Angling Trust.

The nine volunteers honoured at the event were:

Martin Smith – secretary of the Pickering Fishery Association and a key supporter in Fish Legal’s Costa Beck pollution case.

Andrew Nathan – a lifelong supporter and Legal Advisory Committee member with Fish Legal.

David Kent – long-serving volunteer across many areas of the Angling Trust and a former director.

Brian Owen – over 38 years’ service to sea angling who formed the National Team and Competitions Committee for the Angling Trust.

John Sutton – for his work on the crucian carp conservation campaign.

Ian Tucker – a Water Quality Monitoring Network volunteer who has promoted the conservation work undertaken by anglers and clubs to a national audience.

Ray Ashby – 34 years’ service to boat sea angling and a former Team England manager, selector and advisor.

Peter Neale – long-standing volunteer in both sea angling and freshwater and a former Angling Trust director.

Neil Bryant – worked with the European Federation of Sea Angling since 1979 including Chair of the England section since 2000 and introduced squad selection which resulted in Team England’s first World Championship gold in 2006.

Eric Prescott and George Graham expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the volunteers’ efforts, acknowledging the vital role they have played in supporting the work of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal.

The event served not only as a token of appreciation but also as a reminder of the importance of volunteer contributions to the protection, promotion and development of angling across the UK. The Angling Trust and Fish Legal look forward to continuing their work with volunteers, ensuring a bright future for the sport and the environment it depends upon.