Youth fishing projects which are eligible for funding from the €40,000 EFTTA Youth Grant Scheme, have until October 1 to send in completed application forms.
Introducing people to sportfishing is one of the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association’s main priorities – and supporting local projects in the association’s member countries is one of the best ways to recruit new anglers to the sport.
Under the Youth Grant Scheme, EFTTA and its members join forces to contribute to youth angling projects throughout Europe. Members offer their own financial support to projects and EFTTA boosts contributions up to a total of €40,000, making a total in excess of €80,000 euros available.
Before applying for a grant from EFTTA, all applicants must find a corporate sponsor from one of EFTTA’s members. If successful, EFTTA will match the sponsorship from each member up to a maximum of €2,000 per project.
South Cumbria Kingfishers – which increases participation in angling by disadvantaged and disabled youngsters – is just one project supported under the Youth Grant Scheme.
Neil Birkinshaw, of South Cumbria Kingfishers, said: “We are more or less nearing the end of the first year of our project with only a barbecue and a couple of competitions still to be held.
“To date South Cumbria Kingfishers has run 52 separate events over the year for some 800 youngsters. As a direct result of the project junior membership of our angling club (Windermere, Ambleside and District AA) has increased from 18 members to 117 with similar increases amongst other participating clubs.
“Next year the project aims to expand and we will be developing two new fisheries as specific coaching waters, one game, one coarse.”
EFTTA members who sponsor schemes are also responsible for administering the spending of the EFTTA grant on the particular project. They can either purchase fishing tackle products on the applicant’s behalf or award a cash grant if more appropriate.
Organisations who wish to secure Youth Grant Scheme funding must submit:
– a completed application form
– details of sponsoring EFTTA member, including amount of sponsorship received
– additional material that can support an application (leaflets, brochures, references etc)
Application forms are downloadable from the EFTTA website at www.eftta.com or through the EFTTA secretariat at EFTTA Ltd, 71-73 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NJ, UK. Contact Jonathan Leith at jonathanleith@eftta.com for more information.