The second Fishing buddies event was fished on Wednesday 22nd July at Rookery Waters fishery on Magpie lake and I must thank Richard Arnold of Wrenbridge Sport & Martin Crook of M & M plumbing & heating for supporting the event. The event was very successful with all those attending having a great day and some catching large numbers of fish whilst others had personal bests after starting fishing again after 20 years.

The aim of the events are simple- to improve mental health, reduce stress and isolation and create new friendship. Fishing buddies provides the opportunity to have a day out and chat with new people. There are a few other people I must thank for making these events so successful firstly Chris Mann at Radio Cambridgeshire who kindly interviewed me in the radio studio when fishing buddies was first announced and I have been told by some of the anglers that interview is what inspired them to sign up,

The second person to thank is Dan Mason of Hits Radio who came along to Rookery waters this week and took some video and did a few interviews, One of the anglers spoke about his journey through life and it has gone viral with the interview appearing in several papers and on social media platforms. The power of this interview has already attracted more enquiries for future events.

I must also thank everyone at Rookery Waters who always continue to support the charity events I stage it would be impossible to run these events without the support of the venues and special thanks to Becky and her team for serving up a great lunch for all those who came along. 

Thanks also to Paul Birch who has come along to both events to help set things up on the day for the lunch. If you are interested in signing up to Fishing Buddies please contact Graham Saint at the Cambridge United Foundation his email is grahams@cambridgeunited.com or you can email Ian Darler on cambcharityfundraisers@gmail.com.

The next event is on Wednesday August 26th at Rookery Waters . The events are non-competitive and all standards of anglers are welcome but those interested must book through Graham Saint. Photos of some of the anglers having a great day out.

Watch the slideshow below to see the photographs

As most of you will be aware over the past two years, I have been set the BIG FISH OFF challenge to catch 200lb of fish in 10 hours.

The previous events have currently raised 15.5k for local charities and the 2026 BIG FISH OFF is scheduled for Thursday 16th July 2026 and we are hoping companies and contacts that we have will be able to support the event again this year with a donation of some kind.

The charities that will benefit from this event are E.A.C.H , The Cambridge Acorn Project, CPSL Mind & Cambridge United Foundation.
 
Our target figure this year is 10k if you are able to support this event in any way I would be very grateful.
 
Please see the attached details relating to the event and donation link
https://cufoundation.enthuse.com/cf/big-fish-off-2026

Cambridge Charity Fund Raisers Ian Darler B.E.M., and Cambridge United Foundation have set up 'Fishing Buddies' to provide an opportunity for people to take time out of their day to come together to fish, talk and socialise.


The sessions have been created to share the benefits of fishing with anglers who feel alone through loss of a family member or a friend, have health or mobility concerns, stress at work or other challenges, and have possibly lost their confidence to go fishing on their own.


The aim is simple but powerful – to improve mental health, reduce social isolation and create friendships for people who are too often left feeling lonely and need company. 'Fishing Buddies' will provide the opportunity for people to ‘open up’ and chat about any concerns that they may not have been able to talk about in the past, breaking down barriers to wellbeing, using fishing as a pathway to improve mental health, create a strong community, and lasting change.


Fishing with a friend allows you to share the excitement of the catch however big or small, along with the more peaceful moments beside the water, and chatting about life’s stories. Fishing is about more than just catching fish. It is about friendships and the bond that forms between fishing friends, many light-hearted stories and life’s challenges have been spoken about whilst sitting on the banks of rivers and lakes.


Fishing in remote locations can be lonely, fishing friendships adds an extra layer of safety, ensuring that there is always someone to assist in case of an emergency or having someone to help carry the tackle and other things that make the trip safer and reassuring.


Being outdoors can also improve mental well-being. Spending time with nature, outlines how exposure to natural environments is linked to improved mood, and a reduction in anxiety.


The first event was very successful and we must thank Richard Arnold of Wrenbridge Sport and Martin Crook of M & M heating & plumbing for supporting the event and the Island Grill for providing a roast lunch at the lakeside.

I believe this event was one of the most emotional days I have been involved with during the 20 years of CCFR, What a privilege it was to meet so many nice people and listen to their journey through life.

We must also thank Matt Wright from CPSL Mind for attending and having a chat to all the anglers who found the discussions very helpful.

The day was non-competitive other than a prize for the two biggest fish of the day which were won by Jason Petch & Wayne Thomas.

Finally thanks to Fraser Gilbert of Frasers fishery for hosting the event .

Cambridge United Foundation, working alongside Ian Darler B.E.M., and Cambridge Charity Fundraisers have set up 'Fishing Buddies' to provide an opportunity for people to take time out of their day to come together to fish, talk and socialise.

The sessions have been created to share the benefits of fishing with anglers who feel alone through loss of a family member or a friend, have health or mobility concerns, stress at work or other challenges, and have possibly lost their confidence to go fishing on their own.

Read more via the link
www.cufcfoundation.com/news-and-updates/fishing-buddies%3A-using-angling-to-encourage-conversation-and-connection

Above in the cheque presentation Donna, Ian Darler, Sue Ketland, Lisa Darler, Ruby Darler
Following on from the 2025 BIG FISH that raised £2085 for Woodgreen the staff invited us to have a look around the site and see where the money is used that was donated.

What an inspiring place Woodgreen is and all the staff are so welcoming and there is an abundance of care for all the animals awaiting new homes. The site provides outstanding care for dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals. When given the tour by Lou McCourt it was obvious to see that every penny donated makes a difference to the welfare of the animals.

The kennels, cattery and small animal rooms were very homely and quite so the animals get the best care possible.

What was also nice was that Donna who showed us around the kennel area knew every dog by name and was again so caring and when Sue Ketland joined us, we were taken into the restricted areas including the veterinary area and the set for The Dog House along with the staff who manage the rehoming.

We were pleased to be able to make another small donation of £500 to the charity taking the total donated to Woodgreen in the past twelve months to 3k and know the money will support animals waiting for their new home.

Thanks to all the Woodgreen staff for taking time out of their busy day to show us around the site.

Supporting Cambridge United FC with the supply of free sanitary products in all the female toilet areas at the Cledara Abbey Stadium thanks to Julie Izzard Community champion at Tesco Newmarket Rd for the continued support

The opening of The BRIGHT HORIZON cafe in partnership with the Cambridge United Foundation at the Cledara Abbey Stadium in February was a standout moment that has helped a number of people since the launch.

Special thanks to Aaron Paul at ITV sport for covering the launch along with Keith Heppel of The Cambridge Independent News Paper, former players Luke Chadwick, John Taylor, attended and spoke so honestly about their own personal journeys through life.

The walk in café is available to all on the second Wednesday of the month between 2pm -4pm.

Woodgreen Animal charity donation thanks to Sue Ketland & staff from Woodgreen for supporting the Bright Horizon café

Another Highlight was the 2025 BIG FISH OFF event put forward by Kevin Johnson of C.B Groundworks & Construction the event took place at Frasers Fishery in Little Downham and again received great media coverage and who could believe the event would raise in excess of Thirteen thousand pounds before platform fees and all six charities received over two thousand pounds.

This event has also now become an annual event

The Cinnamon Trust
Cambridge United Foundation
CPSL Mind
E.A.C.H East Anglia Children’s Hospices 
The Kevin Beattie Foundation
The Rampton Community Allotment

Who could forget the 2025 Inspirational Young Stars evening in partnership with the Cambridge Independent News Paper when fourteen outstanding Cambridgeshire children were honoured for their achievements. Special thanks to our sponsors Regent Construction, Mick George Ltd, COEL, A.R.Aspinall & Sons Ltd, CamClad Ltd, Cambridgeshire Football Association, Wrenbridge Sport, Baxter Storey Ltd, Cambridge United FC, Coopers Trophies, C.B Groundworks & Construction Ltd, Mead Plant & Grab, Premier Travel, Tesco, E.J & R.E Clark Road Transport Services.

Finally special thanks to the CCFR angling group who have supported the events for over 20 years and help raise thousands of pounds for local charities.