National Lottery boost of £9K for Casting for Recovery

Casting for Recovery UK and Ireland will use the £9,595 grant from the National Lottery Communities Fund to replace rods, reeds, clothing and other equipment that is essential for the use of the 80 ladies who come on our retreats each year

Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland, the medical fly-fishing programme for ladies who have, or have had breast cancer is delighted to announce that we are the beneficiaries of a £9,595 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The National Lottery grant will enable us to replace fishing tackle (rods and reels etc) along with clothing used by the 80 ladies we take on retreat. We hold six events across England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland each year.

Earlier this month we celebrated our 50^th retreat, where we invited 12 ladies who have or have had breast cancer on a health-giving weekend of therapy and fly-fishing in Llanelli, South Wales.

CfR organiser Sue Shaw said: "This National Lottery grant is so important to us, and for it to come just as we celebrate our 50th retreat is a lovely coincidence. Most of our equipment and clothing is around 12 years old so definitely needs updating.

"Many of the ladies who come on our retreats are quite scarred, physically and emotionally by their breast cancer diagnosis. We hope that by spending a weekend with us, where they undergo counselling and medical support whilst learning a new skill in the great outdoors, we can help start the healing process.

"A number of them have taken up fly-fishing as a hobby – some even progressing to fish in the Home International Championships."

Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland is run by The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF), the charity set up to increase access to the countryside and to use it for education, fun and healing. It works on the simple principle that fly fishing is wonderful therapy for those recovering from breast cancer.

The programme takes ladies on a two-day residential retreat where fly fishing tuition is part of a packed itinerary that also includes counselling, relaxation and medical support. The residential retreat aims to help both body and mind, with the medical and counselling aspects complementing the gentle physical therapy of the fly-casting motion.

We are extremely grateful to the fly fishing and medical volunteers who take time to ensure that the ladies all enjoy their weekend and to our generous hosts.

CfR will run six retreats throughout 2019. Our next takes place at the Mount Falcon Estate in Co Mayo from 21-23 June.