“WE ASKED FOR HELP — IT NEVER CAME”: MUNCH BAITS HITS OUT AT ANGLING TRUST AFTER KIDS’ FISHING EVENT
Munch Baits has publicly criticised the Angling Trust over what it says was a lack of meaningful support in the build-up to a major event that ultimately gave more than 500 children the opportunity to go fishing.
In a statement released today, Munch Baits says it has now been contacted by the Angling Trust CEO following comments made in an earlier social media post.
The company has responded by setting out its version of events in full.
According to Munch Baits, the team repeatedly approached the Angling Trust while planning the event, asking for support, advice and involvement. This allegedly included several attempts to contact the CEO directly, as well as approaches to its local Angling Trust representative.
Munch Baits says that despite those attempts, very little practical assistance was received before the event.
When contact was eventually made with the Regional Development Officer for the East, Munch says it was asked whether a Level 2 coach would be involved.
The company confirmed that one would be present and says it was told somebody would call them back — but that call allegedly never came.
Munch says another Angling Trust employee later apologised and said the matter would be dealt with.
The Angling Trust’s Head of Coaching subsequently contacted the company after becoming aware of the event and offered access to an online safeguarding course.
Munch Baits accepted and completed the course and says it appreciated the assistance, but claims this represented almost the full extent of the practical support it received before the main event.
The company has questioned why it struggled to secure assistance when it had seen the Angling Trust support and promote other children’s angling initiatives.
Munch Baits said:
“We approached the Angling Trust because we genuinely believed that, as the national governing body for angling, they would want to support an event whose sole purpose was to introduce hundreds of children to fishing.”
Despite the difficulties, the event went ahead.
Munch Baits says two Level 2 coaches were present on the day, alongside volunteers, supporters and members of its own team.
More than 100 rods, reels and whips were reportedly used during the event before being given away to children so they could continue fishing afterwards.
The company says no external funding was used and that no Trust or Association financially supported the event.
Instead, equipment, time and assistance came from businesses, coaches, volunteers and individuals who wanted to help introduce youngsters to angling.
And the final numbers were impressive.
More than 500 children were given the opportunity to fish, many of them apparently for the first time.
The disagreement has continued since the event, with Munch Baits claiming it was contacted by the Angling Trust on social media and asked to remove its previous post.
Munch responded:
“We would have been hugely grateful for the same amount of time from them before the event, as it could only have helped get more kids fishing on the day.”
The Angling Trust is also expected to publish its own statement, according to Munch Baits.
For now, Munch says it hopes the disagreement can be brought to an end and is instead focusing on what the event achieved.
Its final message was pretty simple:
“We may not have made the cut for the Angling Trust’s ‘Get Kids Fishing’ campaign, but we can say with 110% certainty that we ‘Got Kids Fishing’.”
Whatever comes next in the dispute, getting more than 500 youngsters on the bank is a significant achievement.
What do you make of it?
Should the Angling Trust have done more to support an event of this size — or is it unreasonable to expect the governing body to become involved in every independently organised fishing event?