Dreamstore Update

September 30, 2005 in All Articles, Projects by admin

Fishing has proven to be a useful means to provide diversionary activity suitable for young people who are ’referred‘ by many official agencies. Dreamstore has provided a small grant to Get Hooked on Fishing to review its broader application as an aid to addressing social inclusion and to help develop its programmes for wider application. This review is principally sponsored by the Countryside Agency’s Social Inclusion Unit and the Home Office’s Positive Futures.

“If we stop one young person offending and serving a custodial sentence, it may save as much as £100,000, whilst the saving in suffering to both victim and offender can not be calculated. Over three hundred young persons have been through Get Hooked on Fishing at Durham and many more in similar schemes around the country. Dreamstore has helped fund a review of how Get Hooked can be developed and expanded to make an even greater contribution to social inclusion.”
His Honour Judge Milford QC
Chairman, Get Hooked on Fishing Trust

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

Left to right; Christopher Edwards, Warren Bradbury Desiree Elliott, Daniel Wright from SAFE, Group Award 2005; Richard Wightman of the Environment Agency who collected the Conservation Award 2005 for the Godalming Angling Society Marsh Farm Project; Andrew Walker (Get Hooked on Fishing Midlands), Individual Award 2005, along with colleagues Craig Steventon and Yvonne Tustin; Rachel Duland and Tina de-Bear of YYS International (Fladen Fishing) Best Business/Agency Award 2005; Pat Mansfield of Lord Williams School, Oxfordshire Social Inclusion Award 2005.

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This Dreamstore Active Awards evening held at Chesford Grange, Warwickshire, highlighted a range of groups, projects and individuals that make a real difference to society and are a 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.

A Dreamstore spokesman said:

“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.”

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

Social Inclusion Award – Lord William’s School, Oxfordshire:

for pioneering work in establishing angling as an activity during school time and not as an after school activity, addressing ‘challenging young people’ in an innovative and positive approach.

Conservation Award – Godalming Angling Society, Marsh Farm Project:

Transforming an old chicken farm into a two 3.5 acres, a coaching lake and a wildlife pond. The lakes offer challenging angling in quality surroundings. Commended for being run professionally, and focused on delivery of excellent service to the angler; a fishing project with conservation at its core.

Best Business/Agency Award – YYS International:

A company with a positive attitude to angling participation as part of its business process and a sensibility to wider social giving, which makes it a credit to the Angling Trade and to angling in general.

Group Award – Stoke Angling for Everyone:

A group with an active coaching programme for juniors and seniors, the on-going management of an ever widening range of angling participation events and with a willingness to help and support to others in the region with their ideas and activities. It’s a group which in just one year introduced 2000 new people to angling – with over 80% still engaged – and has been the catalyst for junior membership with partner angling clubs treble.

Individual Award – Andrew Walker:

A man who has demonstrated a professional approach which leads best practice in the regulation of referrals of young people to a variety of well-structured programmes. He is someone who has a passion for helping others, matched only by his passion for angling and how it can benefit others.

Dreamstore would like to thank the following for support throughout the past year: Bank of Scotland, Corporate; Virgin Atlantic; Roxton Bailey Robinson Worldwide; Tri-Ventures Group, Oglethorpe Sturton & Gillibrand; Browning (ZEBCO-EUROPE); Orvis; DHP Ltd; IPC; Angling Trades Association; Leeda; British Disabled Anglers Association; Guideline; JRC Products.

in All Articles, Dreamstore Awards by admin

Left to right; Mark Tellwright of Dreamstore UK presents Andrew Walker with the Dreamstore Active Individual Award 2005.

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Andrew Walker of GHOF Midlands was awarded the Individual Award 2005 at the Dreamstore Active Awards evening held at Chesford Grange, Warwickshire. The Individual Award is presented to the individual who has done most to promote and encourage fishing as an enjoyable pastime, and to encourage responsible participation among new enthusiasts.

A Dreamstore spokesman said:

“It is often difficult to pick out one individual from a team. But even in a team there will always be a first among equals. Andy took an idea and extended it further than any other comparable group has achieved. His professional approach demonstrates best practice in the regulation of referrals of young people to a variety of well-structured programmes which are carefully structured to meet specific need, and are planned in collaboration with referral agencies.”

“The range of programmes Andy has created shows imagination, innovation, and empathy and understanding towards the young people entrusted to his care. He maintains a steadily expanding team of fully qualified coaches who are selected for their ability to work effectively with young people. We are delighted that this year’s Individual Award has been presented to someone who has a passion for helping others, matched only by his passion for angling and how it can benefit others”.

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 28, 2005 in All Articles, Projects, Small Grants by admin

Delighted with the donation of new sea angling equipment are participants and partnership representatives: Mark Finn, Yvonne Boswell (Conwy LEA), Richard Burns, Wesley Roberts, James Wyatt-Jones, Eric Humphries (Welsh Course Angling Association, Official Coach), a Dreamstore representative along with Stephen Wood (Denbighshire YOT), Harry Wym-Owen (Welsh STA Coach), Daniel Jones (Conwy LEA), Simon O’Hara, and Michael Davies.

February 2005: A donation of new sea angling rods and reels and life-preservers to the North Wales Get Hooked on Fishing scheme is a welcome boost to engaging young people in positive use of leisure time. Twelve Steadfast II Silver Surf sea rods donated by leading manufacturer LEEDA and eight GUL life-preservers donated by the charitable Dreamstore were presented to the Get Hooked on Fishing supervising team at the Colwyn Bay Sea Angling Club.

The donation of sea angling equipment will add to a range of supervised courses for young people that already include Coarse and Fly fishing. The young people on the courses are usually referred from schools and Behavioural Support Units or Pupil Referral Units who are experiencing attention difficulties, are at risk of exclusion or perhaps at risk of offending. The Get Hooked on Fishing Scheme is also used to reward young people who are seen to have made a positive effort to improvement, for example, when a young person has made a commitment to change to teaching staff.

Over the past four years around 120 young people have been participated in Get Hooked on Fishing. North Wales Get Hooked on Fishing is a partnership with schools, local education authorities and social services in Conwy and Denbighshire. It was seed funded by a small grant from the Environment Agency. Other neighbouring counties have expressed an interest in joining the scheme.

Stephen Wood of the Youth Offending Team in Conwy, and a keen angler, has been involved with the scheme since its inception in 2002. Commenting on the donation of the sea angling equipment he says:

North Wales Get Hooked on Fishing is not some hugely well funded scheme. We have very much relied on the goodwill of local fishing coaches, tackle shops and fisheries. We are still using the £5000 seed grant given to us by the Environment Agency in 2002. This is one scheme where the success is measured solely in the change in the lives of young people. We have seen young people who can’t sit still in class for 30 seconds sit and watch a fishing float for three hours: and this is in time carried back to the classroom. We have watched young people at risk of drifting into anti-social behaviour through lack of interest in anything, becoming keen anglers and using their leisure time constructively, with one or two examples of those young people returning to Get Hooked on Fishing to help other young people. It’s all relative, and we don’t have a 100% success rate, but the benefits are definitely far outweighing the occasional disappointment.

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Simon Henton, Managing Director of LEEDA and Chairman of the Angling Trades Association commented:

We have been delighted to provide equipment to North Wales Get Hooked on Fishing. The Angling Trade Association’s Tackle Pool is there for exactly this type of worthwhile scheme that encourages angling participation, especially with such great benefit through Get Hooked on Fishing. For LEEDA the satisfaction in donating this equipment comes from anticipating that there will be a young person who will experience their first Tight Line using a Steadfast II Silver Surf LEEDA rod on the North Wales coast.

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A Dreamstore spokesman said:

Dreamstore is keen to see anyone pick up a rod and use their recreational time constructively. We are very pleased to support a scheme such as North Wales Get Hooked on Fishing because it has worked hard on a limited budget and has shown how the time, energy, and commitment of a few can bring such consistent and sustained social benefit to an area. The focus on helping young people in Conwy and Denbighshire over recent years is to be highly commended, and the success can only be measured in the individual stories of positive change that have accrued since the inception of the scheme.

For further information contact Stephen Wood on 01492 523 500

February 10, 2005 in All Articles, Projects, Small Grants by admin

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