Apply for part of £150,000 of National Lottery funding awarded to Angling Trust towards tackling of inequalities in sport and physical activity

Press Release
From: Angling Trust
For: All media

The Angling Trust has been awarded £150,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund which aims to tackle inequalities in activity levels through working with its partners to reach those most in need as a result of the impact of COVID-19.

The funding award will allow the Angling Trust to directly support community angling projects to remain operating. This will ensure that the priority groups who use their services can remain active and have access to the many health and wellbeing benefits that angling provides for them.

The community angling projects will be wide-ranging and help a broad spectrum of people in various communities across the country. Typically they include inner city angling venues in low social economic communities, people suffering from mental health issues including PTSD, those disadvantaged by disability, special needs, or illness as well as low-cost fishing opportunities and alternative education through angling-based activity.

Sport England’s work and contribution to Tackling Inequalities focuses on reducing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activity levels in under-represented groups, thereby ensuring that during this period, gaps do not widen between those who are active and those who are not.

With a strong understanding of the needs and issues in their areas, Sport England has initially channeled £3.3m through the 43 Active Partnerships across England to support community groups in their areas as a result of the impacts of COVID-19. They are also investing further funding through National Partner organisations that have specific expertise and reach to our target audiences.

This funding and support will enable community groups working with target audiences – Lower Socio-Economic Groups, Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse Communities, Disabled People and People with Long-Term Health Conditions – to continue to exist and engage with their communities with a view to keeping them active during both the lockdown and early recovery stages.

Clive Copeland, Head of Participation at the Angling Trust said: “The £150,000 of Sport England funding is fantastic news. It means that hundreds of people will be able to remain connected with the exceptional work these projects provide in four significantly underrepresented groups. Absolutely anyone can go fishing, and our sport should be accessible regardless of ability, gender, income, race, demographic or place but insight suggests that COVID-19 is preventing that. This award will mean that their work can continue to allow ‘angling for all’. We are extremely pleased that our bid to Sport England was successful at the maximum amount available. This, we feel, reflects the ability for angling to enable those sometimes less able to be physically active to take part in a sport that overcomes the especially divisive impact this virus can have on health and wellbeing.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s Chief Executive, said: “We are proud to be able to provide funding and support to angling in this difficult period. This funding will help support our valuable community infrastructure that is so important in keeping the nation active and will also provide important connections and re-connections for people whose lives have been affected by COVID-19 and for whom remaining active is so important for their physical, mental and social wellbeing. We know from our research and data that there are existing inequalities between groups when it comes to activity levels and COVID-19 has re-enforced these. Thanks to the support of the National Lottery and its players, the Tackling Inequalities Fund will be both crucial and central to ensuring no-one is left behind when it comes to having the opportunity to be active during this period. This builds off the back of our £35m Community Emergency Fund that has already reached and supported over 7,500 community clubs and groups across England.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors
For more information on the Sport England Tackling Inequalities Fund please contact Clive Copeland, Head of Participation, Angling Trust. [email protected]

The Angling Trust are a representative body for all anglers in England and Wales. Our members support the campaigns we carry out to protect fish and fishing and our programmes to increase participation. We are recognised by Sport England as the national governing body in England and promote active lifestyles and maintaining a regular angling habit. We are united in a collaborative relationship with Fish Legal, a separate membership association that uses the law to protect fish stocks and the rights of its members throughout the UK. www.anglingtrust.net

About the Sport England Tackling Inequalities Fund
Part of Sport England’s overall £210m support package to help the sport and physical activity sector through COVID-19, Sport England is working with Active Partnerships and National Partners who have specific expertise engaging with our priority audiences. Further information on this fund can be found at www.sportengland.org/tackling-inequalities-fund.

About National Lottery
National Lottery players raise £30m every week for good causes, funding arts, heritage, sports, voluntary and charity projects around the UK. For more information on good causes in your area go to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

About Sport England
Sport England is a public body and invests up to £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport. It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active – like women, disabled people and people on lower incomes. www.sportengland.org

Image Used: Angling 4 All is a club for disabled adults run by its members and supported by staff from Gateshead Council. Read more here: www.getfishing.org.uk/angling-4-catching-toon-centre-cod. Other high resolution photography of angling projects in action is available upon request.