Angler given 'Flame of Hope' award for fishing cancer charity
A PENRITH angler has received a special commendation in the Cancer Research UK Flame of Hope awards after raising nearly £15,000 for the charity.
Mike Smith (36) was honoured with the Pioneer of the Year award after his ‘Bite out of Cancer’ initiative inspired hundreds of anglers to donate the weight of every fish they caught in money.
Mike was inspired to fundraise for the cancer charity after losing both his grandfather and his dad to the disease.
A Bite Out Of Cancer’s Mike Smith with the award
For more on A Bite Out Of Cancer read our interview with Mike - click here.
Match fishing legend's book raises 2.3k for cancer charity
THE very first copy of Tommy Pickering’s autobiography has raised £2,315 for the Anthony Nolan blood cancer charity following an online raffle auction.
A total of 463 tickets priced at £5 each were bought by anglers in the NuFish Southfield Reservoir Match Facebook Group, which is in its third year of raising funds for the charity.
The 1989 World Champ Tommy, who regularly attends matches at the East Yorks venue, told us donating his signed book for the raffle was a ‘no-brainer’.
“My mum died of leukaemia in 2008 and the charity has also supported good friend and Southfield match organiser Andy Renton through his battle with the disease.
“I wanted to offer something a little different to raise money and the book donation was an instant hit – making £1,000 in the first hour of the raffle.The response has blown my mind.”
To generate even more funds, Andy and fellow match organiser Mick Axon created a three-day festival at Southfield Reservoir which attracted 78 competing anglers.
Andy added:
“If it wasn’t for Anthony Nolan I wouldn’t be here, so I’d just like to thank Tommy and everyone who bought a ticket or entered the festival for their contribution to the charity.”
Tommy at the book presentation – with Southfield match organisers Andy Renton (Left) and Mick Axton
67-year-old runs over 26 miles to fund fishing in schools
WORLD-renowned fly fisherman Charles Jardine has raised £4,500 for his Fishing for Schools initiative (FFS) after running 26.4 miles around Rutland Water.
It took the 67-year-old more than six hours to complete the circuit in driving rain, but Charles said the struggle was ‘more than worth it’ to help bring fishing to struggling kids during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He told us:
“There’s never been a more vital time to help children and their mental health through fishing, and the money raised from this run will enable our licensed coaches to reach out to more schools.
“We don’t want to lose momentum now that Covid is here, and every penny we can raise will continue to make a difference to a young person’s life.”
This the fourth time Charles has run a marathon to generate funds for the project, but he believes this will be his last.
“I struggled with injuries leading up to this run, and with me being 67 years old, the wear and tear is now taking its toll,” he added.
“I’ve had a lot of fun along the way, though.”
Charles Jardine enjoying a cuppa outside the Rutland fishing lodge following his marathon
Hundreds raised for charity in Northern fishing event
A fishing match held at a venue in Cheshire has been deemed a complete success by organisers, with hundreds of pounds raised for a cancer charity.
Danny hopes to turn the match into a yearly event for Northern anglers
The match held at Meadow View Fisheries in Lymm, was hosted by Danny Fenson, who hopes to turn it into a yearly event for Northern anglers.
“In the end we had 19 anglers attend the event. This ranged from experienced match anglers to people that have never fished a match before,” says Danny.
“We have now raised over £700 for a pancreatic cancer charity. The money raised will help fight this awful disease."
Danny revealed why the charity is so close to his heart…
“I lost my dad in early February this year to the disease and as you can imagine it hit our family quite hard.
“So I decided to arrange a charity fishing match in his honour. We used to go fishing together when I was younger. last year I took fishing back up again and wanted to take him one last time but it was too late.”
You can still donate to Danny’s cause here: https://fundraise.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/fundraisers/danielfenson.
Charity calls for anglers help
A MAJOR charity is appealing to the angling community to help generate vital funds through fishing matches after the organisation’s 2020 fundraising events were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Marie Curie, which provides care and support for people with terminal illnesses and their families, has continued its incredible work throughout the crisis but is now in desperate need of your help.
Holly Carey, a Community Fundraiser for the charity, said:
“If you’re a keen angler and thinking of heading back to your local fishery or lake, we’re asking that you and your friends consider indulging your passion whilst raising much-needed funds for our cause through a fishing match or tournament.
“Even the smallest amount will be a huge help in recovering what we have lost and will further aid our hardworking nurses, hospices and Support Line through this tough time.”
Grimsby-based angler Glenn Gollins is already doing his bit and for the last seven years has run an annual fundraising match on his local fishing pond.
He told us:
“Eight years ago I lost my wife and Marie Curie were there for me every step of the way, so I wanted to give something back. Over the years the match has grown in popularity and we raised £2,000 during the most recent one.
“It shows that anglers have a heart and can make a difference when it matters.”
To get involved, email holly at holly.cary@mariecurie.org
Marie Curie provides care and support for people with terminal illnesses and their families
NEW match fishing league to raise thousands for UK charities
AN ANGLER from Kent has created a match fishing league in a drive to raise £10,000 for three charities – and he wants you to fish in it!
Ian Hardie, 54, from Maidstone, is calling for up to 80 anglers to take part in the Togetherness Charity League, which will be hosted at Kent’s Lavender Farm Fishery during October 2020.
The competition will consist of five matches and, aside from raising vital funds for three incredible causes, participating anglers will also have the chance to win cash prizes and Preston Innovations tackle items.
Ian tells us:
“The main objective of the Togetherness Charity League is to further support the NHS Covid-19 Appeal, the SSAFA Armed Forces Charity and the Abbey Physics Community Garden – which is a local mental health charity that I work for.
“Abbey Physics is close to my heart, but considering what’s happened over the last three months, I couldn’t stay idle and knew I had to do something to help fight Covid-19 and support our war veterans – just like Colonel Tom Moore.”
The money raised from entry fees will be split equally across each of the three charities, and Ian is already working towards securing further prizes from the tackle trade.
The Togetherness Charity League logo