The Get Fishing Fund
Funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income
Get Fishing Fund
The Get Fishing Fund is now closed and proposals are being evaluated, it will reopen again in 2025.
Building on the successful launch of the Get Fishing Fund in December 2020, the Environment Agency and Angling Trust is pleased to announce an additional £150,000 investment to encourage more people to get fishing for the time in 2025.
Funded from fishing licence sales, grants of up to £2,500 are available to benefit angling-based projects. The funding could be used to help purchase equipment, fishing tackle and resources to run fishing events and activities to give people the opportunity to get into fishing.
Heidi Stone, Fisheries Partnerships Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
’We are seeing more and more children trying the angling, I think parents are seeing the benefits of getting outside and learning a new skill. Angling clubs and fisheries have much to offer local communities by running events and welcome new anglers. The Get Fishing Fund is an excellent way we can reinvest fishing licence income to increase the opportunities and grow our wonderful sport.”
Clive Copeland, Head of Participation at the Angling Trust, added:
“The Get Fishing Fund is an ideal way to get involved in introducing newcomers to a sport that brings all-inclusive activity to tens of thousands of newcomers every year – get involved in bringing health and wellbeing and outdoor activity to your community.”
How to apply
Guidance Notes and Application Form
Please download our Get Fishing Fund Guidance Notes to find out more information about the fund and some useful tips on completing an application.
All applicants must first register their details and then submit an application using the online portal by clicking the link below.
Only applications submitted via this portal will be considered.
The deadline for applications is Friday 6th December 2024.
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
For more information on coaching and courses visit www.anglingtrust.net/get-involved/coaching. In some circumstances, the Environment Agency may be able to provide bursaries for training new coaches.
What is the Get Fishing Fund?
Since its launch in 2020, the Get Fishing Fund has supported 200 projects
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 of angling can offer. The new buzz around fishing continued, with fishing rod licence sales soon showing that more than 900,000 people had bought or renewed their fishing licence since April 2020, and that over 100,000 new anglers were taking up the sport. This additional income allowed the Environment Agency to offer increased investment to support projects that will run safe angling participation events again, throughout 2024-25.
- In just 5 years the Environment Agency has already invested over £600,000 of fishing licence income in 400 Get Fishing Funded projects helping to create more opportunities for people to get fishing.
- Since 2015, fishing licence income has helped fund more than 500 angling projects worth an estimated £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, the Get Fishing campaign introduces over 30,000 people to angling at hundreds of fun, safe and friendly events funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income.
The Angling Trust and Environment Agency are working together in a four-year National Angling Strategic Services contract (NASS3) awarded by the Environment Agency from the 1st April 2024 which builds on nine years of partnership work and which focuses on four key areas of work funded by rod licence money:
- Introduce more people to fishing to ensure our sport grows and flourishes and more people enjoy the health and well-being benefits that angling brings.
- Provide expert advice to grass-roots clubs and fisheries on their management and growth, protecting fisheries from predation, improving biosecurity, and issues around invasive species.
- Administer a project fund to support the development of clubs and fisheries around the country.
- Build effective enforcement partnerships with the police, angling clubs and fishery owners through the Voluntary Bailiff Service and Building Bridges Project.
Get Fishing Fund Projects
Thinking about applying? See how last year's fund helped groups like yours...
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Get Fishing Fund – Funded Project:…
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Get Fishing
Get Fishing is the Angling Trust‘s campaign to grow participation in angling.
Shakespeare
Shakespeare is the Exclusive Fishing Tackle Partner of the Angling Trust's 'Get Fishing' campaign to get more people fishing, more often.
