Hooked on Health

We look at the story behind The Countryside Alliance Foundation's Casting for Recovery initiative, where women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer learn to fish in aid of their recovery

The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF) is the charitable arm of the Countryside Alliance and a unique charity that aims to help adults and children enjoy the incredible benefits of being involved in the natural environment. As well as Falconry for Schools and Fishing for Schools, there is the Casting for Recovery programme, which gives women diagnosed with breast cancer the opportunity to go on a fly fishing retreat.

Since it started just over ten years ago, in 2007, Casting for Recovery (CfR) has held 48 retreats, hosting 620 women. At first glance, fly fishing and recovering from breast cancer may seem strange bedfellows, but talk to any of those who have attended and you start to see why this charity's work is so important.

The idea came from an article in a magazine, says Sue Shaw, seasoned fly fisher and volunteer since the programme's early days. "Sue Kidby saw an article in a fly fishing magazine in 2006 about CfR in the US. Having twice been diagnosed with breast cancer herself, and just having taken up the sport, she thought it was a fantastic idea, and needed to be brought over to the UK."

The US programme was founded in 1996, in Manchester, Vermont, by Dr Benita Walton, a breast reconstruction surgeon, and professional fly fisher Gwenn Perkins Bogart, who realised that the motion of casting was a perfect physical therapy for women who had undergone surgery or radiation therapy, increasing mobility in the arms and upper body. "It isn't just the physical therapy that works," Sue says. "Many of the women who attend aren't part of a support group. For each retreat we have counsellors, nurses and of course professional fly fishing instructors. There are group counselling sessions, and one-to-one sessions with medical
staff or counsellors available to those who want it. The combination of the physical activity, the support and being in the countryside, near
nature, works brilliantly."

Sue Kidby needed support to bring the idea to fruition, and asked Sue Shaw, who had worked in the fly fishing industry to come on board. The first retreat, held at Duncton Mill, Petworth in East Sussex was attended by 11 women and funded by the CA. By the second year of retreats, Orvis UK was on board, providing tackle and clothing. "We stayed an independent charity until 2015, when we merged with The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF), though the Countryside Alliance itself has been involved since the start – not only with funding, but also with board members providing locations, and volunteering from all levels of the CA. Cementing this relationship was Jill Grieve's involvement. A staunch supporter since it started, Jill was a director of the charity and then a trustee, and attended a number of the retreats. She was instrumental in the merger with TCAF." Sadly, Jill passed away in 2018 – a tribute to her can be found on page 31.

As well as an amazing number of volunteers being involved, CfR continues to enjoy support from Orvis UK, which still provides equipment and clothing, and several venues that host the retreats, says Sue. "Forbes of Kingennie is amazing. Not only have they hosted us over the years, but they are very supportive of what we do and have held fundraisers in the past. Kimbridge on the Test is another huge supporter – we recently held our 10th retreat there and Clay Brendish is our Patron. All the venues are amazing in terms of support and providing us with the facilities we need." In terms of fundraising, Sue says there are a number of events held throughout the year, some of which are organised by the TCAF. "But lots of fundraising is done by previous participants, too. Last year, for example, we had Sam and Hannah, who had been on a retreat and then raised over £1,600 doing a sponsored abseil down Pembroke Castle, and Linda Straghan from Northern Ireland has so far raised over £4,000 by holding an online auction of tackle donated by friends. Donations like that go directly towards retreats."

"An amazing experience"

Megan Dunmore attended a Casting for Recovery retreat in 2018

"It's quite hard to put into words what an amazing experience it was. There were so many elements that came together to make it special. We started the weekend with a greeting session. I don't think many, if any, of the women had been to counselling, so to be able to talk freely about being diagnosed with cancer with other women was very liberating and created an instant bond between us. Many of us felt we'd had to stay strong for our families, and not talk about how frightening it was. There is, strangely, a sense of survivor's guilt after treatment, which was something I hadn't put into words before, but could at the retreat. Sharing the experience with others who have gone through the same thing changed my perspective and has helped me enormously. From that moment on, we all relaxed around each other.

"I was a bit nervous about the fishing part – I'd never fished before, but not many of the other women had, either. The instructors were brilliant. They were all women, and one was also a breast cancer survivor – while all of them had someone close to them who'd had cancer, so it was good to hear the other side of things, too.

"The whole retreat was so carefully thought out – from the meals and snacks, which were not only delicious but very nutritious, to the advice we got from the counsellors, and doctor, not just about cancer but about nutrition, how we coped with our diagnoses, treatment and future health was brilliant. And being surrounded by nature really made a difference. Everyone caught a fish, some caught several, but it was the whole experience that was reviving and restoring. I can't recommend
the retreat highly enough for someone who has had breast cancer."

Dates for 2019 Casting for Recovery retreats

• 26-28 April – Coniston Hotel, Skipton, North Yorkshire

• 17-19 May – Garnffrwd Fishery/Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli, South Wales

• 21-23 June – Mount Falcon Hotel, Co. Mayo, ROI

• 26-28 July – Kimbridge on the Test, Romsey, Hampshire

• 13-15 September – Forbes of Kingennie, Broughty Ferry, Dundee

• 11-13 October – Brick Farm Lakes & Cooden Beach Hotel, Bexhill, East Sussex

Visit countryside-alliance.org/charity/casting-for-recovery-uk-ireland. Retreats are free to attendees and include medical advice, educational services, counselling, relaxation techniques and fly fishing.

This article originally appeared in the Spring issue of My Countryside magazine.

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