The Get Fishing Fund is back for 2022 – £100k funding pot available to help get more people fishing, more often

Press Release: Angling Trust and Environment Agency.
Monday 17th December 2022.
For Immediate Release.

• Following a successful launch in 2019, the Environment Agency in partnership with the Angling Trust has announced a new Get Fishing Fund for 2022!

• £100,000 of fishing licence income will be invested in the next round of the fund which launches on Monday 17^th January 2022

The Get Fishing Fund is all about creating more opportunities for people to get into fishing. The fund has already seen over £200,000 of fishing licence income invested in 140 projects all over the country, providing brand new opportunities for people that have never tried fishing to get into the sport.

Grants of up to £2,500 are available per organisation. These are to help purchase equipment, fishing tackle and resources to run fishing events and activities to give people the opportunity to get into fishing.

Picture: Sean’s Place is a charity that received Environment Agency support via the Angling Trust Get Fishing fund – the charity uses fishing s to improve men’s mental health and well-being across Sefton and Liverpool City Region through sessions specifically identified to improve confidence and self-esteem for men whilst reducing symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety.

The Get Fishing Fund is available for angling clubs, fisheries, licenced angling coaches as well as non-angling organisations such as schools, local authorities and charities based in England.

Full guidance on how to apply, what the funding can be used for and more can be found at www.anglingtrust.net/get-fishing-fund.

Clive Copeland, Head of Participation at the Angling Trust commented: “The Get Fishing Fund has been a forward-thinking and inventive way of re-investing fishing licence money back into growing participation in angling. It should be applauded for the way it has enabled 140 projects to provide thousands of opportunities for people to give fishing a go. I have been to some of these clubs, fisheries and charities, and seen how they have used their funding to kick-start fishing sessions – even a small amount of funding can go a long way to get lessons, equipment or a coach in place. It’s important that applicants get their forms in early so we can start processing and funding more and more brilliant ways to support newcomers to Get Fishing.”

Heidi Stone, Fisheries Partnerships Manager at the Environment Agency added: “Working in partnership with the Angling Trust, the investment of fishing licence income will support great projects to help grow angling, giving more people the opportunity to take part in events and experience the joy of catching a fish for the first time. Angling is a sport that everyone can enjoy and there is growing evidence of the health and well-being benefits of getting outdoors. We hope that the Get Fishing Fund will help first-time anglers form a habit of a lifetime.”

The deadline for applications is Friday 18^th March 2022. Applications will be judged on a weekly basis and as a result, the funds may be allocated before the deadline. The Get Fishing Fund has been incredibly popular with clubs, fisheries, charities and other organisations using funding to get thousands more people into fishing. Therefore, we would strongly recommend that organisations that are interested in applying do not delay and submit their application now.

The easing of lockdown restrictions in May 2020 led to a huge increase in popularity for angling as people sought the wellbeing benefits the sport can offer. The new buzz around fishing looks set to continue, with latest rod licence sales currently showing more than 900,000 people have bought or renewed their fishing licence since April this year, with 100,000 new anglers taking up the sport. This additional income has allowed the Environment Agency to offer increased investment to support projects that will run safe angling participation events throughout 2021.

–ENDS–

Notes for Editors:

• • The contact for this Press Release is: [email protected]
  • The contact for Get Fishing Fund applicants is: [email protected]
  • More info and applications via www.anglingtrust.net/funding/get-fishing-fund

• The fund will open on Monday 17^th January 2022. The closing date for bids is Friday 18th March 2022.
• Because funding is limited, applicants are encouraged to apply sooner rather than later.
• Funding applications can be made on the Angling Trust website at https://grants.anglingtrust.net/online-application-forms, or search “Get Fishing Fund”.
• For more information on coaching and courses visit https://anglingtrust.net/get-involved/coaching. In some circumstances, the Environment Agency may be able to provide bursaries for training new coaches
• Since the Angling Improvement Fund was launched in February 2015, fishing licence income has helped fund more than 500 angling projects worth an estimated £5.6 million, creating, or safeguarding tens of thousands of angling opportunities in England.
• Get Fishing is the Angling Trust‘s campaign to grow participation in angling. Annually over 35,000 people get the opportunity to fish at hundreds of fun, safe and friendly events funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income.

Related Content:

Liverpool based charity Sean’s Place was one of 140 projects supported by the Environment Agency via the Angling Trust Get Fishing fund – the charity uses fishing s to improve men’s mental health and well-being across Sefton and Liverpool City Region: www.anglingtrust.net/2022/01/17/get-fishing-fund-funded-project-seans-place

Fishing has many benefits and is an effective tool to improve mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and adults alike. Bradford Community Play & Development Service are offering bespoke fishing experiences to improve: Confidence building, skills development, co-ordination, conduct, behaviour, patience, concentration and resilience: www.anglingtrust.net/2022/01/17/get-fishing-fund-funded-project-city-of-bradford-metropolitan-district-council

Exeter and District Angling Association successfully applied for funding from the Get Fishing Fund, launched in 2020 by the Angling Trust in partnership with the Environment Agency as a way of investing fishing licence income to create more opportunities to get into fishing: www.anglingtrust.net/2022/01/17/get-fishing-fund-funded-project-exeter-and-district-angling-association

POINT is a charity that supports families who have children and/or young people with disabilities/additional needs. The organisation runs activities in Oldham, Greater Manchester including a group to help the young people it supports to learn the basics of fishing, including health and safety around the equipment: www.anglingtrust.net/2022/01/17/get-fishing-fund-funded-project-point

Support from the Environment Agency via the Angling Trust Get Fishing Fund has meant the Norfolk Hospice could buy equipment needed for the fishing group, including specific items that are helpful to patients who are infirm and less mobile: www.anglingtrust.net/2022/01/17/get-fishing-fund-funded-project-the-norfolk-hospice