Campaign to boost club memberships

An ambitious campaign to boost membership numbers of clubs across the country has been launched by the Angling Trust.

Hundreds of associations have seen the amount of fishermen on their books dwindle in recent years as a result of the booming commercial carp scene, but the sport’s governing body are now aiming to reverse the trend.

In order to readdress the balance they have roped in external help, with experts convinced that a well-thought out marketing campaign involving social media could transform the fortunes of those on a downward spiral.

Industry experts, Club Leaders, have held seminars and tuition sessions with various sports outfits in recent years and have seen groups that were on the verge of extinction go on to hit their peak after following simple advice.

Those in the Northamptonshire region will be among the first in angling to take advantage of the service and scheme coordinator Helen Simmons said: “We are committed to providing support to help clubs become more sustainable, thereby increasing participation.

“Our seminars give people an interactive learning opportunity to ask questions and share experiences and over 80 per cent of those that have taken advice from us have acted upon it to help meet their goals.”

Trust Regional Development Manager James Roche played a major part in initiating the project and is urging clubs to get involved to help secure their future. He said: “Effective marketing and promotion is a vital part of helping angling clubs to grow and these sessions will help them find new ways to promote the facilities they offer.” 

That is a view shared by Earl of Harrington’s AC secretary Teresa Parr who, with the Derbyshire club in decline, decided to utilise Facebook in a final attempt to stop the rot. “There is absolutely no doubt that if you work with social media the rewards are enormous,” she told Angling Times. “Our membership numbers have risen 100 per cent in a year.”

**Angling club officials are being invited to attend the first session on November 6 at Moulton College, Northampton. Experts will be on hand between 7pm and 9pm and you can book your spot by calling James on 07791 786251**