The 15th January 2008 not only heralded the opening of the salmon season on the River Tay but also the latest plans for expansion of the successful Angling for Youth Development Programme (AFYD). Currently based in both East Perthshire and East Renfrew, this started life as a police Youth Diversion strategy. Pupils from Blairgowrie High School and Rattray Primary School travelled to Kenmore to participate in the opening celebration.
Not only did they try catching a salmon but they assisted in raising £4500 for AFYD funds. Pupils at Kenmore Primary School received their own AFYD/Trout In The Classroom Habitat, micro hatchery. They were delighted when 3 of the Rattray pupils shared what they had learned from their experiences with their micro hatchery and gave some tips for getting the most out of the experience.
For the last 6 months the programme has been developed in conjunction with Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services. This programme is based within Blairgowrie High School and its feeder primary schools.
AFYD offers a range of programmes designed to compliment the school curriculum and offers opportunities for extra-curricular activities in angling related subjects. The uptake by pupils in the pilot school has led to positive responses by both staff and pupils participating in the programme.
Depute rector Lynn Bryce said “We are delighted our pupils are participating in this new venture. They have benefited from the enthusiasm and expertise of the AFYD coaches and have developed a range of new skills and confidence. This development further enhances the range of land based and skills for work courses offered to pupils.”
Graham Lee, the senior instructor for the Secondary Schools programme is employed by PKC Janitorial Services and is based at Blairgowrie High School. He undertook a gruelling 7 day course to qualify as a UKCC Level 2 Sports Coach and is currently working on his Scottish Game Angling Instructor’s Course to enhance his already notable skills as an angler. Graham is now recognised as an expert on all things fishy by both pupils and staff. He is regularly called upon to deliver AFYD modules in the classroom.
Graham told us “When I joined Grev and the team at AFYD I had no idea how large they wereand they are still growing. On Tuesday afternoons I coach a small group of S4 pupils who chose game angling for the Hobbies and pursuits section of their Duke of Edinburgh Awards, a group of S3 pupils will be starting the same course by the end of January. I coach the pupils in various subjects dealing with game angling, mechanics of casting, knots and their uses, entomology and fly-tying. Over the winter months we meet in the school hall on Wednesday evenings to coach pupils from age 11-16. Everyone enjoys themselves but can’t wait for the lighter nights to get back to the waterside!”
At Primary School level, AFYD in partnership with Jet Set Trout in the Classroom UK have installed 5 micro hatcheries in schools throughout Perthshire. Rattray, Coupar Angus, Pitlochry, Kenmore Primaries and the Hill Primary School in Blairgowrie, all benefit from this project.
The 4 new schools involved received their hatcheries in January 2008. Each hatchery costs £1000 and they have been sponsored by local businesses. The Kenmore Hotel, the Moulin Hotel, Mr and Mrs Thomson at Blairgowrie Fruit Packers, Smith and Son Coaches, the Red House Hotel and Davidsons the Chemist are all valuable sponsors for the project.
Due to the rising demand for AFYD, plans are already in motion to increase the number of programmes throughout Scotland. Tayside Fire and Rescue are the project leaders in Angus and are supporting further projects throughout Tayside. With demand in Perth and Kinross increasing, it is hoped that AFYD will be established in Perth and Highland Perthshire by the end of 2008.
Project Development Officer Grev Humphrey, Tayside Police told us “The support from PKC for AFYD has contributed considerably to our development and we have been delighted by the responses from schools we are working with. What started as a Police Diversion programme has now grown into a Community Partnership involving a range of agencies with the support of individuals within the local communities who operate the schemes.
Councillor Liz Grant said “As Convener of Life Long Learning I am extremely impressed with the progress of the AFYD project to date. The project exhibits the finest attributes of a collaborative approach between Education, in particular Blairgowrie High School and the Primary schools of Eastern Perthshire that have so enthusiastically been growing trout in their classrooms, and Tayside Police who have been recently joined in the project by the Tayside Fire Service.
The project has certainly captured the children and young people’s interest and the positive impact of this project is already beginning to have impact on their daily lives in school and the community. This is due in no small measure to the enthusiasm and obvious commitment of the adults from all walks of life who have taken the time to inspire the children with a love of fishing and the environment.
Angling is one of the most popular sports in Scotland and each year the economy benefits enormously. Interest in the sport at home and abroad is growing as is the need for more young people who have the angling skills to consider a career in angling tourism. This project is very much in line with this Council’s ‘more choices more chances' philosophy in our schools and I am confident that the project will continue to prosper and grow.”
As demand has grown it has outstripped the resources that the local government organisation can provide and we have formed a Charitable Trust to assist in funding and delivering the programme. PKC has been with us at the cutting edge of our work within east Perthshire and we look forward to similar support from local authorities elsewhere in Scotland over the coming years.”
If you are interested in assisting or would like to see an AFYD project at work in your area please contact Graham Lee at Blairgowrie High School.
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