The Angling Trust took a big step forward this week when Sport England awarded it formal recognition as the National Governing Body (NGB) for game, sea and coarse angling.
Mark Lloyd, Angling Trust Chief Executive, explains: “At last angling has a single membership organisation recognised by government to represent the voice of anglers and the future of their sport. This builds on the recent success of the Angling Development Board in getting angling recognised and funded as a sport by Sport England. Angling clubs who are members of the Angling Trust will now find it easier to get support and funding from their local authorities and County Sport Partnerships.”
“More than 1,100 clubs and just over 10,000 individuals have joined the Angling Trust so far. This makes the Trust one of the largest NGBs already in terms of club membership. If the 250,000 anglers who are members of our member clubs were to join as individuals for just £1.75 a month, we would be the largest NGB in the country. We also need the support of all anglers to create a powerful and influential organisation which can demonstrate the importance of angling to government and other decision-makers.”
Mike Heylin, Chairman of Angling Trust said: “Governing body status is important to all of us for the funding of development plans for angling but anglers need to understand that it does not mean that Angling Trust governs angling. For anglers we remain a representative body taking the message of the importance of angling and all our fisheries to government and beyond. Angling is governed by law, regulation and byelaws, the importance of the Angling Trust is that it can speak with the law-makers and regulators and represent the views of anglers nationally, that is why it is important that anglers take up membership.”
Governing Body status will also make it easier for the Angling Trust to secure public funding to support its activities promoting angling participation and will give it the authority to govern the national angling teams fishing in international competitions. The official recognition will also help the Trust campaign and lobby on behalf of anglers on issues ranging from access to waters, local angling bans and environmental and fisheries legislation.
Anglers can sign up on the Trust’s website at www.anglingtrust.net. Clubs, fisheries, tackle shops and riparian owners should contact us on 0844 7700616 for more information about Angling Trust and Fish Legal Membership.
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