NFA show over 300 children the road into angling
17th May 2006The listing was posted by National Federation of Anglers
The National Federation of Anglers has helped over 300 children from schools and local community groups get their first taste of angling through the NFA Kingfisher Award. The scheme provides youngsters with a practical and educational grounding in the sport and helps develop their awareness of the environment.
The Kingfisher Award is an introduction to coarse angling and encourages participants to take up the sport and develop their learning at the same time. The award is aimed at children aged from 9-16 years of age and can only be delivered by fully NFA qualified ‘Licensed Coach’ who have been vetted through CRB checks and also attended Good Practice, Child Protection and First Aid workshops. Angling caters for every cross-section of the community and the Kingfisher Award helps raise awareness of how angling provides a fun, safe, challenging and exciting sport to be involved with for youngsters. There is also a strong educational element which teaches participants about fish welfare and biology and the importance of water conservation and the water cycle. As well as how to look after the environment in which you fish and meet the requirements of the country code that anglers should always abide by. It is these educational benefits of the scheme which make the Kingfisher Award stand out as such a successful scheme. Youngsters who gain their qualifications are the future of angling as they are taught to be considerate of their environment and others around them when they fish. It also gives them a strong grounding in basic angling skills such as what bait to use for particular waters and how to use equipment to achieve the best results. There is an 18 hour class room schedule which teaches the attendees all they need to know to get them started and then a one hour session on the bank to put it all into practice. The feedback from the course has been excellent with Julian Taylor our Angling Development Officer stating, “The Kingfisher Award is a fantastic opportunity to help young people access the sport of angling and with highly trained NFA coaches helping them along, they gain a great grounding in the sport. It is these youngsters who will provide the future for angling and the Kingfisher Award gives them all the skills they need to grow and develop themselves both on a angling and personal level.”