I have mentioned Fishing for Schools coach Warren White on many occasions in this newsletter. Warren’s drive and passion for supporting those less fortunate and his desire to reach out to mental health groups places him firmly in Heroic status in my and many others' eyes. That aside, his terrier-like attitude to fundraising puts many to shame. No boot fair or business in the Dartford area is safe. We think the world of Warren, his commitment, his tenacity and absolute sincere decency.
I wish there were more “Warrens.”
Below, Warren White reflects on his experiences with Fishing for Schools, including the support it offers and the importance of creating opportunities for young people to engage, learn and grow through angling.
Being surrounded by nature is important to me, whether it is walking the dogs or fishing: I love being immersed and being part of it.
That is especially so with Fishing for Schools, whether that is provision in an actual school or my personal passion of working with mental health groups. Both offer an opportunity to teach, nurture and install confidence, and to put fun above catching fish.
Through our delivery to schools, from time to time, you meet someone that is really keen. Someone who is truly driven - and you know this person is going to be a true angler. I saw precisely this in Harley Williams.
Harley was part of the first Fishing for Schools sessions we delivered at Stone Lodge School, and to be honest, right from the start, Harley wanted to catch carp – big carp. A lovely lad who wanted to learn more and talk fish and fishing: you just knew that he was destined for bigger things.
As a young angler, Harley has been making a name for himself locally at Dartford Lakes with some good catches, often being highlighted in the local free angling journal Freshwater Informer.
Carp anglers, as we know, are a breed apart; often spending regular time on the bank day and night. Sometimes those sessions can be tricky. Harley has already experienced the darker side of this pursuit when he had some tackle stolen at the lakes; but this has not stopped him in his quest to fish.
Recently while I was fishing on the river Darent, that runs along Dartford Lakes, I bumped into Harley and we had a chat; I could see that angling was a big part of his life and something that he loved, which was lovely to see.
It was apt that The Tackle Box funded this first Fishing for Schools course with Stone Lodge School and it produced a carp angler of the future.
With the ever-present support of our friends at The Tackle Box, Harley is just one of many who have been supported and will continue to be nurtured by both this wonderful and generous organisation and Fishing for Schools.