Dreamstore Update

April 2, 2010 in All Articles, Disability, Small Grants by editor

Southlands Angling Club is a project within Southlands School, near Lymington, Hampshire. Southlands School is a residential special school for around 50 boys aged 9- 16 years old with a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome and associated conditions.

Most of the pupils are of average or above average ability; however significant difficulties in a range of key areas of development affect their everyday life. These difficulties may embrace social understanding and communication, flexibility of thinking, motor skills, coordination and sequencing skills, attention and concentration, and anxiety when faced with new situations or change. Challenging or manipulative behaviour is a common response to anxiety making it difficult to access mainstream community facilities without support. These skills have to be taught gradually over time. Many pupils have very low self confidence and self- esteem and find the classroom learning environment extremely challenging.

Within the grounds of the school there was a small disused lake. Some pupils expressed interest in fishing this lake. It became clear that fishing, even using a stick with line, was a positive experience and more importantly our lake had fish. The interest in fishing snowballed, with the school council suggesting restoration of the lake so that pupils can use it as part of “Southlands Fishing Club” during evenings and at weekends.

Two taster days were arranged with “Fun 2 Fish” where 12 pupils were given the opportunity to try fishing with professional coaching. These days were a fantastic learning experience. Pupils who normally have difficulty managing their anxiety, controlling their behaviour and remaining on task in the classroom, spent 5 hours at the lake; fully engaged, relaxed and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

 

September 20, 2009 in All Articles, Small Grants by editor

The picture tells the story of catching a fish for the first time better than any words on a page.

The picture was taken on a day out with INTACT organised through the Ingol & Tanterton Community Trust which Dreamstore supported with a small grant to buy angling equipment from a local tackle shop.  Angling is delivered through INTACT’s youth club, which is community centred.  The Environment Agency has provided some support in respect of fishery development for the group, though they have also successfully negotiated with a local farmer for free use of fishing on his land. 

The Community centre supports an area of general deprivation, and the project engages with kids between 8-16 years old who wouldn’t have much else to do.  The idea of the Club is to encourage the young people to take ownership of their recreation, under supervision.

October 14, 2008 in All Articles, Dreamstore Awards, Dreamstore Day by admin

The first ever Dreamstore Day at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium Saturday 11th October has been hailed as a huge success. Around forty participants attended, from all over the country, attending a series of seminars and demonstrations. The Day included presentation of the Dreamstore Active Awards 2008 and a demonstration of the highly innovative Dreamstore Education Action Zone.

Short courses included, First Aid and Child Protection refresher courses, and Coaching Disability and Access Awareness by the British Disabled Angling Association. There was a special presentation on Voluntary Sector Funding by Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent which was greatly appreciated by Voluntary group leaders.

August 31, 2006 in All Articles, Dreamstore Awards by admin

A Dreamstore spokesman said:

“Dreamstore Active created the Awards night to highlight the tremendous work and effort that goes into activity that may otherwise be overlooked or passed by. The underlying message of the Awards is that an awful lot can be achieved by those dedicated to doing their best, and underscored by a vision and passion to achieve.”

There were five Awards presented at the black-tie
Dreamstore Active Awards Dinner:

Social Inclusion Award sponsored by Dreamstore UK

CWM HEDD FISHERY near Newport, South Wales: Cwm Hedd has opened access to fly/trout angling for everyone. It is a family environment that has all the necessary components that define an accessible fishery: good parking, toilets, a place to eat, well designed pegs, good location, coaching programmes and plans in place for further improvement. Its forethought has created one of the most accessible fisheries in Wales.

Conservation Award sponsored by Dreamstore UK
& Best Business/Agency Award:

FISHING WALES has successfully combined an improvement to infrastructure of natural habitats on around 350km of river, added drive to generate interest through local participation projects, and an improved angling experience for the tourist. It is the combination of improved environment, a social impact in bringing so many together to volunteer and support, and the economic benefits that has resulted in combining the Conservation and Best Business/Agency Awards for 2006. Improvements in conservation, attitudes and tourism on the scale achieved might well alone have justified the spend of £5.2 million, but more so when the spend in the region on angling tourism amounts to an increase of over one third in three years from £67 million to almost £100 million.

Group Award sponsored by The Environment Agency:

Breckland Angling Coaching Club: This Club is entirely dedicated to coaching and increasing angling participation through angling. With an emphasis on education, this group has engaged with schools, adult learning, English as second language groups and has even made angling hi-tech with an ICT project to encourage young people to photograph, transfer and write up their angling experience on laptops at the water side. The group is sponsored by the GMB Union, local tackle outlets and local businesses and, most importantly, supported by a team of volunteer coaches.

Individual Award:

Simon Henton, Managing Director LEEDA, Chairman ATA (retiring): Our individual Award is being presented to someone who has helped raise the profile of angling and endeavoured to increase interest through National Fishing Week. It is someone who has made angling equipment more accessible by selling to retailers big and small. Simon Henton’s approach is characterised by an open-minded determination and a refreshing focus on increasing the sum total of angling participation.

For more details go to the Dreamstore Awards section.

View the related Dreamstore Gallery

June 30, 2006 in All Articles, EAZ, Education Action Zone, Projects by admin

View the related Dreamstore Gallery

October 31, 2005 in All Articles by admin

Mark Tellwright (left), Dreamstore, presents Neil Scarratt (centre) and his brother Kevin (right) with their travel pack for CUBA on the Orvis stand at the Tackle & Guns Trade Show. £100 Orvis vouchers were sent to 11 runners-up.

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Neil Scarratt from Staffordshire is the lucky winner of the CUBA Competition which featured in the Environment Agency 2005 REEL LIFE magazine earlier this year. 37 year old Neil who usually fishes carp and pike is leaving Gatwick on the 3rd November for a fishing trip of a lifetime, along with his twin brother Kevin who usually fishes off the beaches near his home in Kent. For a fabulous week they’ll be fishing in a fisherman’s paradise for Bonefish, the formidable Tarpon, the elusive Permit, the Yellow Fin Tuna or the Bonito.

In addition to Cuba trip, there were eleven runner-up winners of £100 Orvis vouchers.

Dreamstore would like to thank Roxton Bailey Robinson Worldwide, Virgin Atlantic, Orvis, and YYS International for their generous support to the CUBA Competition.

August 31, 2005 in All Articles, Dreamstore Awards by admin

Left to right; Dafydd Evans of the Environment Agency presents Daniel Wright and Desiree Elliott (Project Co-ordinator), from SAFE, the Group Award 2005.

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Stoke Angling For Everyone (SAFE) was awarded the Group Award 2005 at the Dreamstore Active Awards evening held at Chesford Grange, Warwickshire. The Group Award, sponsored by the Environment Agency is presented to a Club, Association, or Society that has demonstrated an ability to generate and sustain membership, and undertaken innovative and imaginative programmes or activities that have opened participation to new anglers and provided a welcoming environment to all those who take part in Club, Association, or Society activities.

A Dreamstore spokesman said:

“From the simple idea of using Council waters more effectively by anglers as the keenest stakeholders of waters, this group has transformed under-used and disregarded resource into an asset to the area. Stoke Angling for Everyone had the foresight to understand that to move ahead required professional resource and drew down lottery money to advertise, interview and hire a project co-ordinator.”

“In just one year SAFE introduced 2000 new people to angling and has been the catalyst for junior membership with partner angling clubs treble. SAFE has an active coaching programme for juniors and seniors, the on-going management of an ever widening range of angling participation events and the help and support to others in the region with their ideas and activities. The Group Award 2005, sponsored by the Environment Agency, was deservedly accepted by Stoke Angling For Everyone.”

Dreamstore Active created the Awards night to highlight the tremendous work and effort that goes into activity that rarely receives a mention in the media, and few accolades from their peers. The underlying message of the Awards is that an awful lot can be achieved by those dedicated to doing their best, and underscored by a vision and passion to achieve.

The Dreamstore Active Awards evening highlighted a range of groups, projects and individuals making a real difference to society and of great credit to the angling community. The Awards look to the huge efforts that bring enormous value to wider society through angling. The awards are not about the fish, equipment or celebrity.

February 29, 2004 in All Articles, Projects by admin

Supported by the Environment Agency, Dreamstore helped create Dreamstore’s Fishing Action Zone at Go Fishing 2004. For the first time ever, many not-for-profit organisations were brought together in a single open space. The British Disabled Angling Association, Get Hooked on Fishing, Wheelyboat Trust, Eden River Trust and other members of the Association of River Trusts, along with the Salmon and Trout Association and the National Federation of Anglers development teams, all worked with a great spirit of co-operation and enthusiasm to create something accessible and fun for the public. National Fishing Week was launched on the central podium of the zone as was Sport Relief’s Fishing Megamatch.

“Dreamstore has made an enormous difference in a short space of time. It has a focus and professional approach about how best to move forward. It has made people sit up and think positively about how to deliver the facilities needed to encourage greater participation in fishing across all groups, whether by age, gender, ability or social standing.”

Richard Wightman
Fisheries Development, Environment Agency