Get Fishing Fund – Funded Project: ‘Mending Lines’ champions angling’s benefits and gets newcomers into fishing

It’s been wonderful to see our friends Mending Lines feature so visibly in the media recently. With appearances on BBC Radio Nottingham’s Breakfast Show, filming sessions out on the bank at fishing events, local newspaper coverage and a brilliant write up by the BBC they really are doing their bit to raise awareness.

We think this brilliant set of photos help bring to life how by flying the flag for fishing Mending Lines have showcased all the good work they do to bring angling to otherwise hard to reach communities. They are one of over 100 organisations nationwide that have received a grant to carry out this work as part of the Get Fishing Fund provided by the Environment Agency and administered by the Angling Trust.

Based in Nottinghamshire, they’ve been using the grant money to introduce new people to fishing by collaborating with schools, businesses, and others organisations, and bring accessible fishing experiences which boost mental health and social connections – another great example of how fishing is a powerful force for good in communities.

In just 5 years the Environment Agency has already invested over £600,000 of fishing licence income in 400 Get Fishing projects! The fund has given thousands of newcomers the chance to get into fishing by providing grants up to £2,500 per organisation available.

The Get Fishing Fund is all about supporting organisations to run participation activities that help get more people into fishing. Grants can be used to buy tackle, equipment and even event shelters or other resources to run events where newcomers get to go fishing, many for the first time – it opens the doors to participation. The Get Fishing Fund is incredibly popular in the angling community, and has always received a wide range of applications from angling clubs, fisheries, coaches, schools, local authorities and charities.

The benefits of getting outside and learning a new skill such as fishing are becoming increasingly important to parents and carers who have become increasingly aware of the need to find opportunities for youngsters to get outdoors away from screens. These are often common goals supported by angling clubs and fisheries who run events that welcome new anglers.

Helping  young people get outdoors, into nature and to provide a distraction from social issues such as anti-social behaviour, drug, knife and gang related crime are all becoming more widely recognised as the positive outcomes of simply spending time fishing.

The Get Fishing Fund is a great way for the Angling Trust to help reinvest fishing licence income from the Environment Agency, increase the number of opportunities to get into fishing and grow the sport with additional infrastructure that makes it more resilient in future.

Going fishing offers all-inclusive activity to tens of thousands of newcomers every year who receive the health and wellbeing effects that learning a new outdoor activity to your community.

The Get Fishing campaign is funded by

The Angling Trust’s Get Fishing campaign to get more people fishing more often is 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 before you 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 to have the proper fishing licence before they take hold of the fishing rod or help the child fish with it.

Get Fishing is Proudly Supported by

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.

If there’s something that you cannot find here to help you start fishing or return to angling, please contact your local Regional Angling Development Officer – you can find the nearest one to where you want to go fishing here.