Positive angling experience for Peaceful Place project

Peaceful Place members continued to enjoy newcomer fishing sessions at Hadleigh Park, catching lots of roach and rudd with some carp making an appearance too.

Peaceful Place, in Basildon in Essex, is a supportive and inclusive service empowering individuals living with young onset dementia and retired individuals in the early to moderate stages of dementia to live their best lives. Their goal is to help participants maintain and develop their skills and talents while engaging in meaningful activities. They offer a variety of programs tailored to meet the interests and abilities of everyone. This allows their members to be part of a vibrant community, where they can choose activities that match their personal interests and skill levels, ensuring a fulfilling and enriching experience in a safe, nurturing environment.

Fishing has had a real positive impact on the participants since it has been added to their variety of programmes tailored to meet the interests and abilities of everyone at Peaceful Place, promoting skill development and engagement.

“Fishing has really brought the community together at Peaceful Place, it’s amazing to see everyone enjoying the outdoors and learning new skills.” Marre Marco.

You can Get Fishing too in your area! There are so many locations to choose from. Events are free or low-cost and include a free fishing licence for everybody while they are fishing at the event, generously donated by the Environment Agency to encourage more people to get into the wonderful activity of angling, which brings health and wellbeing benefits, focus and fun times to so many families who take part.

Get Fishing events are a great introduction to angling because you can simply turn up and fish and don’t need to bring any of your own fishing tackle or bait – it will all be provided on the day, by the event organiser. All the Get Fishing events running from now through summer 2025 can be found in our Get Fishing event pages.

Come along to a beginner have-a-go fishing session like this, and discover why fishing is good for your body and mind, why it doesn’t matter what age or ability level you are, and how fishing is great for children to get outdoors and gain focus and concentration in nature, and away from their screens.

Bring friends and children to learn to fish, see some nature at the waterside and enjoy a wonderful experience for the whole family. It’s great to learn a new skill, re-awaken your love of the great outdoors and embrace some newfound knowledge that you can use when you come fishing again.

There will be more events like this coming up this Summer! Keep checking our Summer of Fishing Events diary to find out when.

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 Angling Direct, Exclusive Retail Partner as we 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.