 | Walsall youngsters have been reeled away from a life of crime by getting hooked on fishing. The Fishing Academy charity was initially started with just a handful of unruly youths from Brownhills in 2004 but now |
works alongside up to 30 schools across the West Midlands to offer support and guidance to young people aged between 12 and 16.
It runs an angling and education programme for young people at risk of getting caught up in anti-social behaviour or exclusion from school.
Incredibly just two per cent of schoolchildren have broken their contract of good behaviour after attending the programme with others going on to roles in the fishing industry and waterways as a result of what they learned.
The scheme is the brainchild of Darren Robbins, who was a PC for 30 years and is now a staff member at West Midlands Police.
He said: "It is hard to believe how the programme has grown; it started off with myself working with a small group who were involved in anti-social behaviour in Brownhills.
"Fishing is an enjoyable pastime, in tranquil surroundings, offering a period of contemplation while learning new skills. It is the largest participation sport in Europe and is available to everyone, regardless of mental and physical ability. I saw there was an opportunity to use it to help keep young people on the straight and narrow, away from bad influences.
"We place a lot of emphasis on the education side; we cover all of the core skills such as English and maths. An example of this is calculating how many fish they have caught, the total weight and the average size of those fish. They then record this information on their own spread sheet.
"It is a great feeling when you hear about someone who was at risk of getting drawn into crime or anti-social behaviour but gets their life back on track as a result of the charity. It's also great to see the demand for places from young people just wishing to learn how to fish in a safe and welcoming environment. It shows we are making a difference."
The academy, now based in Abbotts Bromley in Staffordshire with funding from the police, council and Environment Agency, has a fishing lake and classrooms for mentoring and education purposes. The programme is tailored to those who attend and has so far helped more than 6,000 youngsters.
It is now also expanding to pupils who are not considered at risk of being drawn into crime but youngsters who express an interest in angling or it is believed will benefit from the interaction of the initiative.
And the combination of fishing and education is aiming to net even more success in the coming years.
It runs an angling and education programme for young people at risk of getting caught up in anti-social behaviour or exclusion from school.
Incredibly just two per cent of schoolchildren have broken their contract of good behaviour after attending the programme with others going on to roles in the fishing industry and waterways as a result of what they learned.
The scheme is the brainchild of Darren Robbins, who was a PC for 30 years and is now a staff member at West Midlands Police.
He said: "It is hard to believe how the programme has grown; it started off with myself working with a small group who were involved in anti-social behaviour in Brownhills.
"Fishing is an enjoyable pastime, in tranquil surroundings, offering a period of contemplation while learning new skills. It is the largest participation sport in Europe and is available to everyone, regardless of mental and physical ability. I saw there was an opportunity to use it to help keep young people on the straight and narrow, away from bad influences.
"We place a lot of emphasis on the education side; we cover all of the core skills such as English and maths. An example of this is calculating how many fish they have caught, the total weight and the average size of those fish. They then record this information on their own spread sheet.
"It is a great feeling when you hear about someone who was at risk of getting drawn into crime or anti-social behaviour but gets their life back on track as a result of the charity. It's also great to see the demand for places from young people just wishing to learn how to fish in a safe and welcoming environment. It shows we are making a difference."
The academy, now based in Abbotts Bromley in Staffordshire with funding from the police, council and Environment Agency, has a fishing lake and classrooms for mentoring and education purposes. The programme is tailored to those who attend and has so far helped more than 6,000 youngsters.
It is now also expanding to pupils who are not considered at risk of being drawn into crime but youngsters who express an interest in angling or it is believed will benefit from the interaction of the initiative.
And the combination of fishing and education is aiming to net even more success in the coming years.
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