In a recent article for Trout and Salmon titled ‘Giving Back’, salmon-fishing guide and owner of the ‘Ladyfisher’ blog, Dani Morey, wrote about why we should be proud of the record that fishing, as a sport, has of helping others.
Dani wrote: “When you hear the word philanthropy, I’m fairly certain that fishing isn’t your first thought. Look around you on the riverbank, though, and I’m sure, like me, you’ll see it play out each day. Often associated with grand financial gestures, the dictionary definition of philanthropy is “charitable acts to help others”. How many of us have offered advice a fellow fisher? Shared the contents of our fly-box when one pattern has proven successful and all others have failed? Invited people fishing for the first time? All done as acts of kindness for the benefit of others, not for financial or other gain.
“Further afield, initiatives such as Casting for Recovery, which combined fly-fishing and counselling, helped countless women affected by breast cancer. The great achievements of Fishing for Schools by the indomitable Charles Jardine have helped hundreds of disadvantaged children and his latest venture with The Countryside Alliance Foundation, Castaway, aimed at supporting people moving on from cancer, looks set to be another success. Castaway was originally the brainchild of Charlotte Weston, an oncology nurse who volunteered for a Casting for Recovery day and saw first-hand the healing powers of fishing. This demonstrates the ripple effect of one person helping another.”
Charles Jardine, Director of Fishing for Schools, said: “In the fourteen years of Fishing for Schools and latterly, Castaway, we have rejoiced in the way angling - in its many forms - has enriched people’s lives and made differences that are often unseen, but profound.”
We are incredibly proud of the work that The Countryside Alliance Foundation does, the insight it offers and the opportunities that it provides.
Daisy Bashford
