SPORTS minister Richard Caborn has told coarse angling’s governing body that there is plenty of money up for grabs for angling schemes that will help the government cut crime.
The minster was speaking at the NFA’s headquarters last week, while attending a presentation about the NFA’s national coaching scheme.
Amazingly he is the first minister of state to visit the NFA in its 99 year history.
The money available is through the government’s New Opportunities Fund, which is focusing on helping deprived communities in particular.
The government is also keen on projects that will get more women, youngsters and disbabled anglers out on the bank.
Mr Caborn also said angling could be a key ingredient in its bid to ensure shcool children between 6 and 16 years of age undertake at least two hours of outdoor activity per week.
The goverment is to set up regional sports colleges and Mr Caborn, while ruling out any chance of placing angling on the Nationals Schools Curriculum, urged the NFA to endure angling was high on the agenda for these colleges.
“We could not have asked for a more postive meeting,” said NFA spokesman Rodney Coldron.

* Midland Angler editor Gareth Purnell was the only angling journalist to attend the historic meeting and a full report will appear in the issue out on January 12.