£400,000 payout

Deadline approaching, so clubs and fisheries must act now

See how your fishing club could grab a slice of big funding

ANGLING clubs and fisheries are being urged to apply for a share of a £400,000 grant – before it’s too late.

The Angling Improvement Fund, a scheme funded by rod licence money and administered by The Angling Trust and Environment Agency, helps support projects and initiatives within the angling community.

Fishery improvements and predation management are a main focus of the fund guidelines, although bursaries for coaching and schemes to help get people of all ages into fishing will also be covered with the money provided.

Those interested are being urged to act quickly, as applications have to be submitted by January 25.

Mark Lloyd, CEO of The Angling Trust and Fish Legal, said: “The AIF has awarded more than £200,000 of fishing licence income to otter fencing projects, with investment being made on all types of fisheries after we told the Environment Agency not to exclude non-day-ticket venues.

“The fund will also support other facility improvements on stillwaters, train more coaches to help anglers of all ages get into fishing or learn a new discipline, and help to promote the health benefits of angling.

“With match funding, the overall investment into this integrated programme of work could well approach one million pounds. “It’s great to see rod licence money being used this way.”

Since the Angling Improvement Fund was launched in 2015, rod licence income has helped fund more than 200 angling projects worth an estimated £2.4million, creating or safeguarding tens of thousands of angling opportunities in England.