Get Fishing Supporters – how are our fun, safe family friendly angling events possible – all about getting more people fishing more often

The Participation Team at the Angling Trust are on a mission to help angling clubs, coaches and fisheries show people how easy it is to get into fishing and then, to help these newcomers maintain an angling habit for life!

Get Fishing event delivery is only one aspect of the Participation Team’s many notable successes. Here’s some information about how they do it from Clive Copeland, Head of Participation…

All of the Get Fishing funding partners detailed on this page provide much needed investment into bespoke work that might ordinarily prove difficult to undertake. Sport England, the Environment Agency, Angling Direct and Shakespeare have channeled money into incredible partnership projects that have created hundreds of angling experiences for all. Our overview highlights just a few of the many exciting and progressive successes that have been delivered by the Angling Trust Participation team, and the partnership work that makes angling better for everybody!

Get Fishing Events and Our Volunteer Network
Along with other sports, angling gradually emerged from the shadow of Covid-19 with real concerns about its lingering legacy. Would the public still come to beginner events in “The New Normal”? If so, what kind of support would the angling community offer them? The idea that we’d be able to return to pre-pandemic figures where 25,000 people discovered angling at hundreds of Get Fishing events seemed uncertain, and perhaps a little optimistic – but in fact, last year the public attended Get Fishing events in huge numbers. This could only have happened with the enthusiasm of hundreds of angling clubs, coaches, charities, and fisheries whose appetite to welcome back event delivery – particularly in the form of running Get Fishing Award delivery – was astounding.  We owe a sincere “Thank You” to all of the event partners involved and the immeasurable support and commitment of the volunteer angling community.

The Environment Agency – National Angling Strategic Services Contract
The Environment Agency continue to fund our event delivery programme from fishing licence income as Lot 1 of the National Angling Strategic Services Contract. The Environment Agency’s support for Get Fishing and all the other work in Lot 1,  has developed into an increasingly strong and mutually supportive partnership with the Participation Team and that sees our work to build the Get Fishing ‘brand’ and take people on the first steps of their angling journey, flourish, even despite the challenges faced in the last two years

The Environment Agency – Get Fishing Fund
Our collaborative working with the Environment Agency on funding projects that encourage more newcomers to try fishing continued too when we were able to allocate a further tranche of our £300,000 Get Fishing Fund this year. It is yet another example of how all freshwater anglers contribute directly to making angling stronger by paying for a fishing licence, as this fund is provided from Environment Agency fishing rod licence income and is only awarded to organisations that can demonstrate effectiveness in introducing beginners to our wonderful pastime. You can read about the exciting grassroots projects these much needed funds have supported this year in this related article.

Sport England: ‘Uniting the Movement’ with We Fish as One
As a System Partner in Sport England’s ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy, we were invited to apply for National Lottery funding to support grassroots angling participation. After a lengthy and robust submission process a further five years funding for this work, which is a fundamental role of any National Governing Body, was secured. Receiving such a significant award from Sport England (which by the way is worth a fantastic £320k per annum) is a privilege and not a right. A significant proportion has been ring-fenced to use angling as a way to tackle inequalities which have been magnified by Covid-19, that are experienced by some communities.

Sport England: ‘Together Fund’
Angling Trust also secured £150,000 from Sport England’s ‘Together Fund’ and will be devolving this funding to over 40 amazing organisations whose applications showed us the innovative ways in which angling can be used to improve lives. All of their projects involve angling as a way to encourage more people in lower socio-economic groups, from culturally diverse communities, who are disabled or who have chronic health conditions to take part in a sport or be physically active.

Angling Direct
Another notable success for the Participation Team in 2021 was the expansion of our Get Fishing campaign to support the development and promotion of recreational sea angling. This extension of the campaign has been made possible due to the support of our Exclusive Retail Partner Angling Direct.

Shakespeare Fishing Tackle
In April 2022, we launched our new and incredibly exciting school’s engagement programme ‘Reel Education’ which is jointly funded by our Exclusive Fishing Tackle Partner Shakespeare Fishing Tackle. Read about how Reel Education is bringing fishing to primary schools in our related article.

A huge “Thank You” is owed to all these funders on behalf of the angling community as their invaluable support has really strengthened our sport. Clubs, fisheries, coaches, and venues have received much needed investment into bespoke partnership projects that created hundreds of angling experiences for all. I hope that reading more of the detail here, you feel inspired to get involved and support our work to “Get More People Fishing More Often” and that if you are, you are encouraged to join the Angling Trust because together a united voice for angling makes our sport stronger, now and in future!

Clive

Clive Copeland, Head of Participation, Angling Trust
[email protected]

The 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 in order to 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 the proper fishing licence to take hold of the rod or to help the child fish with it.

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.

Sport England recognise the Angling Trust as the national governing body in England.
It funds the work we do to promote active lifestyles and to maintain a regular participation habit through the sport of angling
and in partnership with other organisations to deliver the National Angling Strategy.