The Chairmen of all of angling’s representative bodies yesterday signed the merger agreement which, subject to various conditions being met, will see them become a single new organisation to represent all anglers from 5 January 2009: the Angling Trust. The Chairmen put their signatures to this historic document on Sunday 19 October, 2008, at the Tackle & Guns trade fair at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.
Earlier in the day, the Angling Trust presented its draft plans to an invited audience of angling journalists and key figures in the angling trade at a breakfast briefing. This briefing focused on how the new body can work with the multi-million pound angling industry to improve and protect fishing; get more anglers on the bank, beach and boat; and to offer benefits to Angling Trust members through its planned Fish 4 Free loyalty programme. This will see anglers who sign up getting cashback on their freshwater rod licence and on purchases of fishing tackle and permits.
The Trust will continue to consult on its plans for the rest of 2008 and is very keen to ensure that it is representative of all anglers. Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive elect of the Angling Trust said: "We will be successful if we listen to our members and take action. This new organisation therefore has one principal aim: to serve its members. Now we need all anglers to stand up and be counted and join the Angling Trust in January."
Jim Glasspool, Chairman of FACT and the Transition Board, said: "I am delighted that we have managed to create a new organisation which will continue the work of all the organisations involved, but which has the potential to deliver so much more than the sum of its parts."
The Transition Board
The document was signed by the chairmen of the 6 organisations involved:
Jim Glasspool, Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust (FACT)
Stephen Marsh-Smith, Anglers’ Conservation Association (ACA)
Martin Read, National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives (NAFAC)
Terry Fell, National Federation of Anglers (NFA)
Richard Ferré, National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA)
Christopher Evans, Specialist Anglers’ Alliance (SAA)
