Monday 17 March 2008
sportscotland today announced a £18,450 investment across the three bodies responsible for angling in Scotland, the Scottish Anglers National Association, Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers and the Scottish Federation of Coarse Anglers.
The supplementary funding coincides with the announcement that the three bodies have produced a tripartite agreement to jointly develop the sport of angling. The formation of the Angling Development Board of Scotland, is being hailed as a 'new dawn' for the sport.
The group will identify areas where the three disciplines can work in partnership and will focus on supporting and developing their club structures, coach education and increasing participation.
The long-term aim is to develop a single plan for the sport of angling with a target of 2013 for completion. A key challenge for the group will be to ensure that the characteristics which give each discipline its unique identity are not lost. By recognising their differences and exploiting areas of common ground the group are convinced that the outcome will be positive for all three branches of the sport.
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive sportscotland said: "We are extremely encouraged by the steps the three angling bodies are taking to develop their sport. Working together to share information and expertise will deliver huge benefits to existing members and allow the sport to attract a whole generation of new anglers.
"We are confident that this new venture, combined with the funding announced today, will take the sport of angling to a new level, encouraging increased participation in what is already a very popular sport in Scotland."
The Angling Development Board of Scotland are looking for specialist support to supplement the expertise already within the sport and will be advertising for input into the One Plan, particularly in marketing and facility development.
Speaking on behalf of the three Governing Bodies, Mike Horn, President of the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers welcomed the investment from sportscotland: "We'd like to thank sportscotland for this investment which will assist all three disciplines to jointly develop the sport of angling. We are excited about the future of our sport and are keen to engage with the recreational anglers who are not yet part of our structures."
- In 2007 sportscotland invested over £10 million in 54 sports governing bodies.
- There are currently around 33,000 members of the three angling bodies.
- The Scottish Anglers National Association (SANA) will receive £8,300 of which £5,000 will come from the sportscotland lottery fund with the remainder from the Scottish Government, through sportscotland. SANA had received £16,500 earlier in the financial year.
- The Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers will receive £8,300 of which £5,000 will come from the sportscotland lottery fund with the remainder from the Scottish Government, through sportscotland. They had previously received £16,000.
- The Scottish Federation of Coarse Anglers will receive £1,850. They had previously received £6,500 from sportscotland.
