Annex 3
ANGLING PARTICIPATION
PROGRAMME
The proposed three-year programme will introduce
50,000 new participants to angling, an activity that Government
in its response to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review
has endorsed as an enjoyable form of healthy outdoor recreation.
Other key features of the initiative are:
— Based upon best practice pilot schemes
with many years of proven effectiveness.
— Special provision for 2,500 disabled
people.
— Intensive programmes for 6,000 young
people at risk of offending.
— Targeted help for other disadvantaged
and difficult-to-reach groups.
— Promotion of best practice angling
safety and environmental awareness.
Proven and sustainable benefits
Recent market research shows that some 2.8 million
people in England would like to try taking up angling and that
the greatest barrier to participation is not being able to obtain
the necessary information and authoritative guidance. Because
angling is an inexpensive pastime, such help is particularly valuable
to disabled people, young people, and disadvantaged groups such
as and those who are unemployed or on low incomes. It has been
clearly shown that angling can also contribute to social inclusion
and deliver sustained reductions in crime and antisocial behaviour
among young people.
This initiative will also establish a self-sustaining
process for introducing newcomers to the sport of angling; it
will increase by 300% the number of places available in existing
schemes in England and be capable of developing to meet the needs
of future generations.
Key elements of the programme
The programme will entail developing coaches
to help partnership groups set up angling participation schemes
based on best practice delivery and benefits verification; improving
angling guidance and venue information and, where necessary, infrastructure
and access for disabled people to club and community-controlled
waters; targeting staff time and promotional activities to hard-to-reach
groups including young people and especially those at risk of
offending, disabled people, the long-term unemployed, women and
girls and other poorly represented/minority groups.
DURHAM GET
HOOKED ON
FISHING SCHEME
Durham based Get Hooked on Fishing (GHoF) exemplifies
how Angling can help Working with young people living in deprived
areas or who are identified as at serious risk of offending, the
scheme has achieved:
— 85% reduction in truancy.
— 70% post-coaching retention in angling.
These objectives are met by investing a high
unit cost per coaching day—up to £300 per person when
working with people seriously at risk of offending. The benefits,
however, are impressive: for every young person guided away from
a court appearance the saving to the tax-payer is £2,500
and, if prevented from detention, up to £160,000 per annum.
GHoF has secured substantial sponsorship to
help establish a GHoF Charitable Trust capable of working on a
national scale. This bid will provide the necessary short-term
funding to launch at least five GHoF schemes each helping 300
"at risk" young people per year and focusing on early
intervention (ages eight to 12 years). The chosen locations will
be urban areas with high indices of multiple deprivation, where
limited angling opportunity is currently available, or where juvenile
offending rates are high.
Part 1 of a GHoF programme typically provides
a two-day introductory course followed by a year of mentoring
and up to 10 extra six-hour sessions. There are annual newsletters
and quizzes/competitions, and training for peer-led status. Part
2 of the programme provides free fishing for a year to those who
improve their behaviour. Young people suffering exclusion being
developed as peer coaches.
GHoF will be harmonised with other angling schemes
(in many cases they would be co-located) to prevent stigmatisation
and to ensure that equipment and facilities are used most efficiently.
The standard AGB coach licensing tuition will be supplemented
by courses tailored to the requirements of those on GHoF schemes,
disabled people and others with special needs.
| 
