Angling By Chris Bowman

Last updated at 08:41, Friday, 19 September 2008

Cumbria County Council has put the Crofton Estate, including its lake, on the open market.

What a whopper: Irwin Bell of Fell View Wigton with

But I would like to suggest that rather than sell to the highest bidder they should give Crofton Lake to the Carlisle and District Coarse Angling Club.

Over 19 years the club has transformed Crofton into a quality fishery with superb disabled access.

Hundreds of school children, disabled youngsters, with autism, children from MENCAP, youngsters under ISSP orders and adults suffering from drink and drug addiction have been introduced to angling as part of their rehabilitation at the lake.

This small angling club with social conscience has for 40 years been providing a good service to the local community.

It has a multi-racial committee, disabled members and junior committee members.

Angling can have a significant social impact in the area of both physical and mental health and of rehabilitation. Pilot schemes have shown that properly run angling coaching and development schemes like those run at Crofton can bring significant social benefits, such as reduced truancy, youth offending and improved educational performance.

Cumbria Constabulary supports properly run angling coaching and development schemes due to potential significant benefits to individual young people and communities as a divergent activity away from offending.

Fishing is a very cost-effective way of contributing to Government's social policy objectives

I sincerely hope the council will look at the bigger picture and not just the short term gain of another cash sale.

First published at 05:47, Friday, 19 September 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk