Substance, a social research cooperative, have won a Big Lottery Research Grant for a project entitled: ‘The Social and Community Benefits of Angling’. The grant of £284,151 will fund a three-year project from January 2009 - January 2012 that will provide evidence of the positive role angling can play for those who participate in it, young people and communities.
The project will work closely with angling and community organisations, policymakers and anglers to help address gaps in knowledge about the activity and provide evidence of angling’s positive impacts and best practice to help influence changes in policy.
Sir Clive Booth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said:
‘It is estimated that 3.9 million people fish in the UK. However, not much is known about angling within policy or the wider public as a result of a lack of research. Our Research programme is all about looking at tackling exclusion and building local communities, and providing an evidence base of the potential and actual social benefits of angling is a very creative way of doing this.’
Dr. Adam Brown, a Director of Substance who will lead the project, said:
‘We at Substance are absolutely thrilled and we are really looking forward to getting the project underway in January. An often misunderstood activity, the research will look at claims made about the benefits that people get from participation in angling. That could be from physical activity, social inclusion work, education, training, volunteering, environmental work, increasing well being and health, or other aspects.’
The project will focus on three areas of work:
- Research to understand the different ways in which people participate in angling and the different roles they play - which can range from fishing itself, to running clubs, volunteering, environmental clear ups and work with community organisations.
- Action-based research centred on the Get Hooked On Fishing charitable trust, which has led the field in using angling for educational and developmental outcomes, especially for young people in challenging circumstances.
- Research in a Scottish rural community in Assynt, Sutherland to understand whether angling can be part of the development of rural communities as an important source of visitors, income, and broader training and development.
Richard Wightman, Angling Participation Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
'We are very pleased that Substance has won funding for this research. We have many areas of common interest and the proposed work will help fill some key knowledge gaps
/continued… around the specific social contribution angling makes. This will help the Environment Agency, and angling in general, to make a more informed case for angling. That is good for increasing opportunity and participation but most importantly it is good for all the extra people who will get the simple benefits of going fishing.'
Anne Moyle, Chief Executive of Get Hooked on Fishing, said:
‘I am delighted by this news, we have been working with Substance for a few years and their partnership and this funding will help us to build and sustain our schemes in the future. We have lots of anecdotal evidence about angling turning around the lives of young people. This work will help to show that it really works, providing vital evidence on how we engage and what we actually deliver.'
Cathel Mcleod of the Assynt Angling Group said:
‘We’re delighted to hear about this research, and we look forward to finding out more. It will help us develop angling and things like angling tourism in the area.’
The project starts on January 1 2009.
Contact
Dr Adam Brown, Director, Substance
Tel: 0161 244 5457 / 07974 963 020
Email: adam@substance.coop
Notes:
Substance are an experienced social research company specialist in the areas of sport, youth inclusion and community regeneration. Members hail from backgrounds in leading university research institutes, social enterprise and IT.
Substance are:
- one of the only research organisations researching the social impacts of angling. Substance’s 2007 report, Getting Hooked: Angling and Youth Inclusion is available at www.substance.coopp/publications
- the national evaluators for the Home Office Positive Futures program and for the Kickz social inclusion football program run by the Football Foundation
- leading a consortium for the Dept. of Children Schools and Families to provide ‘Information and Signposting’ of places to go and things to do for young people in 20 Local Authorities (see http://www.plings.net/ ).
- leading research into the social and community value of football clubs for Supporters Direct.
Substance work with organisations in order to demonstrate impact and value, influence policy and effect social change. Substance provide the people, experience, technologies and networks to make this happen. www.substance.coop |
