Gosport man ditches job to teach fishing to children with educational needs as fundraiser launched
“I’ve decided to leave work and throw all my efforts into this,” Shane said.
A passionate fisherman who has been casting out since he was a child has changed career paths to help youngsters learn his craft.
Three years ago, Gosport man Shane Davies set up Angling Mentors, a group that matches children with special educational needs with veteran anglers, volunteering their time to teach angling, fly fishing and more on a regular basis.
Now, the group has grown to such a level where Shane will be dedicating himself to it full-time.
“I’m passionate about people doing things together,” the 56-year-old said. “It’s a great way of combating mental health troubles, as well as loneliness. So matching these children up with some older anglers just made perfect sense.
“A lot of the young people I taught benefitted from going outdoors, and because of the challenges they face, they need something different than just going into the woods. We’ve been going all over the place, from fly fishing in East Meon to the chalk springs in Arundel.
“It gives these youngsters the chance to experience something new.”
With planned sessions, the group is able to co-ordinate trips en masse to fisheries across the Solent, teaming up with local angling clubs and even going to Lakedown Fishery, owned by The Who frontman, Roger Daltrey.
At the time of publication, Angling Mentors has 15 volunteer anglers, and 15 children to match up with them. But demand is increasing, with foster carers and care services also showing an interest.
Having left his job to work on Angling Mentors permanently, Shane has launched a GoFundMe to support his new venture - which has already raised almost £600.
Shane said: “We’ve practically got children coming out of the woodwork, either from foster care or the adoption system, with more anglers stepping up to volunteer at the same time.
“I’ve decided to leave work and throw all my efforts into this now; I also want to offer this for free, or for as cheap as possible.
“When I was young I was in the local authority system myself, and that’s when I became interested in fishing. I started the hobby when I was about nine years old, and it’s had nothing but a positive effect on me.”
To donate to Shane’s fundraiser, click this GoFundMe link.