BID NOW FOR YOUR SHARE

Angling’s £200,000 cash fund up for grabs

HERE’S your chance to bid for a slice of the £200,000 that’s on offer to improve and protect your fishery.

The Angling Trust is this week inviting clubs, fisheries and other organisations to apply for the cash that’s come from rod licence sales and will be used to launch at least 40 angling projects in 2016.

Applicants wishing to protect their waters from otters and cormorants, or improve access to their fisheries, can take advantage of the money that’s being used by the Angling Improvement Fund (AIF). This is run by the Angling Trust and provides financial support for urgent facilities improvements.

Supported by the Environment Agency, the aim is to fund projects that encourage more people to go fishing. As long as a project meets the eligibility criteria, the Angling Trust welcomes applications over the next two months.

Sarah Chare, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: “In 2015, we sold 1.2 million rod licences. That’s great for angling because it means more investment in fisheries and the fishing clubs supporting anglers up and down the country.

“This round of the Angling Improvement Fund represents the best of our partnership with the Angling Trust, as it aims to get more people into our sport and protect fish from predators.”

This initiative is one of several spearheaded by the Angling Trust whose aim is to improve and protect the sport.

“This round of funding will be targeted at projects that help improve access to the water, based on research into what their members and customers need,” said Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust.

“We will also be continuing our work to protect fisheries from predators to support our predation action plan.”

More details on how to apply, including key deadlines, standard application forms and eligibility and judging criteria for each theme are now available on the Angling Trust website at: www.anglingtrust.net