This would seem to be good news for angling’s three existing organisations that claim the hallowed status of a Sports Governing Body and receive the support of Sport England in return for reacting to their, often political, needs.
However, the data collected during the Anglers Say voting process has allowed much more detailed questioning of the respondents and this seems to show that all is not as rosy in the Sports GB gardens as would first appear.
Further questioning of those who voted yes to paying more revealed that this ‘yes’ vote was based on the creation of a single, professional and well organised outfit that could demonstrate the ability to promote and protect our sport now, and into its potentially precarious future.
The stark reality is that less than 3% of those asked if they had confidence in the current Junta supported its continuation.
The response from the volunteers, whose good work acts as the unpaid glue that binds our Sports GB structure together was “could things get any worse”?
The answer to that cry is yes – they just did!
For years, those who work in the Fisheries Department at the Government’s Environment Agency have gone out of their way to skirt around recruitment, retention and development, which, for so long the natural territory of the governing bodies, are now beginning to ‘show their hand’.
Evidence of the new confidence at the Agency came from Head of Fisheries, Dafydd Evans, who said “For the past few years we have been expanding our work in angling development and participation”.
Further evidence, if evidence were needed, comes from the meteoric growth of their Angling Participation and Development section which, after a shaky start, now ‘trousers’ more than 5% of the total fisheries budget to support recruitment, training and angling development projects throughout the country.
The Agency’s increasingly powerful Angling Participation and Development Manager, Richard Wightman, recently announced “we have already had notable successes in raising angling’s positive profile”. Richard, who confirmed the Agency’s success “through dozens of local angling projects”, is now busily recruiting more local organisations to link themselves directly to his department’s funding stream, thus excluding the traditional voluntary channels.
So, now it is time for you to stand up and be counted.
With more than 5% of the Agency’s Annual Fisheries Budget being spent on recruiting participants and developing angling opportunities should they adopt the role as the Governing Body for the whole of our sport within England and Wales?
