As we all know, due to very few people joining the Angling Trust for whatever reason, they are extremely short of funds. Anything they can do to raise funds is a good thing in my opinion. No-one has to purchase them if they don’t want to. The 4 raffle prizes of £2,000 cash or £1,500, £750 and £350 of Daiwa tackle from their cataloque are quite good prizes with much better odds than the National Lottery. The one ‘Good Cause’ that the profit goes to is ANGLING. If you look at the accounts that are published in the magazine you will see that the raffles have raised approx £40,000 for each of the last 2 years. That is about a third of the 2010 income from individual members, so as a member it would appear that you are in a minority as £10 is 40% of the membership fee. That means that more people buy them than don’t.

The raffle ticket thing has been going on for years with one of the participating organisations, Anglers Co-operative Association (the ACA now Fish Legal) having sent them out as long as I can remember, possibly 30 years or more. Sometimes I have bought them and sometimes I haven’t. If I haven’t (normally because I never got round to it) then to be honest I have just binned them. I have never returned them, they only need the stubs for the raffle.

Anyway I am glad that you posted as I have now opened my mag and enjoyed the read. I will send off the raffle tickets with my money and gladly. I am just pleased that there are people around who want to give up good fishing time to promote the sport and fight our corner against the RSPB, Water Companies, Hydro Power Companies, many diverse polluters and the ‘Greenies’. Unfortunately, on my own, I am incapable of such things. As a member of the Angling Trust I can read about what has and is being done on my and every anglers behalf.

I think that the real point is that the vast majority of anglers won’t pay £25 yet alone £35. That is where the problem lies. I would hope that some market research has been done to find the optimum amount for the subs and that is £25.

Glad to hear that you were an ACA member but as you were, why should you be surprised at the raffle tickets? The ACA did it for years and it provided a large proportion of their income. In the past I have asked for more raffle tickets, flogging them round the office. I am retired now so do not get the opportunity otherwise I would probably do it again.

Last year i took my tickets to the pub and sold them to fishermen who adamantly said they would not join the AT!
Yet when they can win something from the AT, they do not mind giving them there money – There’s some irony in there some where.

@Paddy wrote:

Last year i took my tickets to the pub and sold them to fishermen who adamantly said they would not join the AT!
Yet when they can win something from the AT, they do not mind giving them there money – There’s some irony in there some where.

Good idea that.

It seems as though we are both singing from the same sheet kerryd. I thought the mag was quite good althjough the cover on mine is fallinf off already!

Hi kerryd,

We have 75 members who have let us know that they would prefer not to receive a book of raffle tickets. If you would like me to add a note to your membership record so that we don’t send you these in future just drop me a quick email to [email protected] – thanks.

I’m really pleased that you were happy to get your free magazine and that you are continuing to support the excellent work of the ACA (now known as Fish Legal, the legal arm of the Angling Trust) through your membership subscription. Please encourage all your angling friends to join too.

Best wishes,

Will

Will Smith
Membership Manager

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