Always on
This project successfully funded on 7th October 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Moyola Angling Association: Cast & Connect
Magherafelt, Mid Ulster, United Kingdom
Aim
Helping older people enjoy angling, meet new people and spend more time outdoors in a friendly and welcoming club.
Moyola Angling Association: Cast & Connect
Who Are We?
Moyola Angling Association has been part of the local community since 1982. Based at Bradley's Lake in Tobermore, on the River Moyola, we've spent more than 40 years bringing people together through a shared love of angling and the outdoors. Today, our club has more than 400 members, but we're still run entirely by volunteers who simply want to see more people enjoying the sport we love.
For us, angling has never just been about catching fish. It's about getting outdoors, slowing things down for a few hours and enjoying good company. Some of our members have been fishing together for decades, while others joined after deciding to give it a go later in life. No matter how someone finds us, we want them to feel part of the club.
Throughout the year, our volunteers organise angling sessions, competitions, open days, workshops, community events, river clean-ups and conservation activities. We care deeply about the River Moyola and want to make sure it can be enjoyed by our community for generations to come.
We believe everyone should have the chance to experience angling, whether they're picking up a fishing rod for the first time or returning to a hobby they haven't enjoyed in years. There's always someone willing to lend a hand, share a bit of advice and make a new face feel welcome.
Why Are We Crowdfunding?
This autumn, we're launching Moyola Angling Association: Cast & Connect, a new 16-week introductory angling programme for 20 people aged 65+ in our local community. We want to give older people the chance to get outdoors, meet new people, become more active and learn a skill they can continue enjoying after the programme finishes.
We're particularly keen to reach people who have never tried angling before, including those who may feel isolated, be living with a disability or have limited opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity.
Living in a rural area can mean fewer activities close to home, particularly for people with limited transport or mobility. Cost can be another barrier. Buying a rod, reel and tackle before you've even had the chance to find out whether angling is for you isn't realistic for everyone.
That's why no previous experience or equipment will be needed. We'll provide the coaching, rods, tackle, adapted equipment and safety equipment people need to come along and give it a go.
Over the 16 weeks, participants will take part in two 1.5-hour sessions every week at Bradley's Lake. That's 32 sessions and 48 hours of angling activity for each participant. Two qualified angling coaches will support every session, providing 96 coaching hours in total.
Weeks 1–4: Getting started
The first 8 sessions will be about making everyone feel comfortable beside the water and learning the basics at their own pace.
Participants will learn how to set up a rod and reel, use basic tackle, cast safely and make their first attempts at fishing. We'll also cover water safety and how to move safely around Bradley's Lake.
We'll purchase 20 complete rod and reel sets and 20 beginner tackle packs, so every participant has the equipment they need from the beginning.
We'll also provide 20 flotation vests, 5 adapted/easy-use angling sets, 5 supportive fishing chairs, 5 landing nets and 9 rod rests. This will help us support people with disabilities or limited mobility and make sure everyone has the chance to take part comfortably and safely.
Weeks 5–8: Developing skills
Over the next 8 sessions, we'll build on those first few weeks.
Participants will practise their casting, learn how to bait hooks, recognise bites, use different tackle, land fish and handle and release fish safely.
With two qualified coaches at every session, there'll be plenty of hands-on help available. Someone who needs a bit more support won't be left behind or expected to learn at the same pace as everyone else.
The aim is that someone who needed help setting up their rod in week one will gradually be doing more for themselves by week eight.
Weeks 9–12: Building confidence
During these 8 sessions, participants will start putting their new skills into practice with less assistance.
They'll practise setting up their own equipment, selecting suitable tackle, casting and fishing more independently, while our coaches and volunteers remain nearby whenever they're needed.
We'll also introduce fish care, responsible angling and looking after the River Moyola. We want participants to understand that angling isn't only about catching fish; it's also about respecting and caring for the river and the environment around us.
Throughout the programme, we'll provide the bait, replacement fishing line, hooks, floats, weights and other consumables needed to keep everyone fishing.
Weeks 13–16: Connecting with the club
The final 8 sessions will give participants the chance to put everything they've learned into practice and enjoy fishing with greater confidence and independence.
By week 16, we'd love to see someone who arrived at Bradley's Lake having never held a fishing rod being able to set up their own equipment, cast a line and enjoy fishing with the confidence to keep going.
But Cast & Connect isn't designed to end after the final session.
We'll encourage participants to stay involved with Moyola Angling Association, whether that's continuing to fish, becoming a member, helping at club events, caring for our fishing waters or eventually helping other beginners and younger anglers.
A facilitator will also deliver 4 hours of practical volunteer development for participants interested in becoming more involved with the club. This will cover supporting beginners, helping at club activities, volunteering safely around the water and mentoring younger anglers.
For some people, the highlight of Cast & Connect might be catching their first fish. For someone else, it might simply be getting out of the house twice a week, having a bit of craic beside the water and seeing the same friendly faces again.
That's what Cast & Connect is about: casting a line, making connections and giving people a reason to keep coming back.
Our full project will cost £7,692. This will provide 96 hours of qualified coaching, beginner equipment for 20 participants, accessible angling equipment, water safety equipment, programme resources and consumables, practical volunteer development and local recruitment and promotion.
We're aiming to raise £2,692 through our Crowdfunder, which will allow us to seek £5,000 in match funding from Sport Northern Ireland's Creating Opportunities programme.
The equipment purchased will stay with Moyola Angling Association after the 16 weeks, helping us welcome more beginners and create further opportunities to enjoy angling in the years ahead.
Every donation will help us give 20 older people the chance to make their first cast, learn something new, meet new people and hopefully discover a hobby and friendships that last well beyond the 16 weeks.
How We'll Spend The Money Raised
Qualified angling coaching- 2 qualified angling coaches × 1.5 hours per session × 2 sessions per week × 16 weeks = 96 coaching hours @ £30/hour = £2,880
Beginner angling equipment – £2,600
20 complete rod and reel sets @ £80 = £1,600
20 tackle starter packs @ £50 = £1,000
Accessible angling equipment – £917
5 adapted/easy-use angling sets @ £90 = £450
5 supportive fishing chairs @ £40 = £200
5 landing nets @ £30 = £150
9 rod rests @ £13 = £117
Water safety equipment – £800
20 flotation vests @ £40 = £800
Volunteer development – £120
4 hours of practical volunteer development - 1 facilitator × 4 hours @ £30 per hour = £120
Participant recruitment and promotion – £75
Design and printing of promotional leaflets/posters and local promotion = £75
Programme resources and consumables – £300
Replacement fishing line, hooks, floats, weights, bait, disinfectant, first-aid consumables and other small consumables required throughout the 16 weeks = £300
Total project cost: £7,692
Sport NI match funding sought: £5,000
Crowdfunding target: £2,692
Creating Opportunities
Moyola Angling Association: Cast & Connect is about opening up angling to people who might never normally think about joining an angling club.
We're specifically targeting 20 people aged 65+ who are new to angling, particularly those who may feel isolated, be living with a disability or have limited opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity.
While Moyola already provides angling opportunities for our members, we have never delivered a structured 16-week beginner programme specifically for people aged 65+. Cast & Connect is new and additional to our normal club activity.
We also want to make sure we're reaching beyond our existing membership. We'll use local posters, leaflets and our community connections to reach people aged 65+ who aren't currently involved with Moyola and encourage complete beginners to come along and give angling a try.
Each participant will have the opportunity to attend two 1.5-hour sessions every week for 16 weeks. That's 32 sessions and 48 hours of angling activity for each person. Two qualified angling coaches will support every session, providing 96 coaching hours in total.
We know that simply telling someone to "come along and try fishing" isn't enough if they don't own a rod, can't afford the equipment or need a bit more support to take part. That's why we'll provide everything from the start, including 20 rod and reel sets, 20 beginner tackle packs and 20 flotation vests, alongside adapted angling equipment, supportive fishing chairs, landing nets and rod rests.
Nobody needs to arrive knowing how to fish. We'll start with the basics and take things at each person's pace. Across the 16 weeks, participants will progress from learning how to set up a rod and make their first cast to using tackle, handling fish safely and fishing with greater confidence and independence.
We want to create opportunities off the water too. We aim for at least 5 participants to progress into 4 hours of practical volunteer development with a facilitator. This will introduce them to helping at club activities, supporting beginners, volunteering safely around the water and, in time, mentoring younger anglers.
And we don't want everything to stop when week 16 arrives. The equipment purchased will stay with Moyola Angling Association, and participants will have opportunities to continue fishing, become club members and get involved as volunteers.
For us, success will be 20 people aged 65+ who are new to angling getting 32 opportunities to take part, learning new skills and having a clear route to continue fishing, become a member or volunteer with Moyola Angling Association after the programme finishes.
Community Impact
Our aim isn't to run a programme for 16 weeks and then stop. We want Moyola Angling Association: Cast & Connect to bring new people into the club and create opportunities that last.
For some participants, that could mean discovering a hobby they continue for years. For others, it could mean making new friends, becoming more active or simply finding somewhere they enjoy going each week.
Those who want to stay involved will be encouraged to continue fishing, become club members, volunteer at events, help care for the River Moyola or even become involved with our Committee. With many experienced anglers already in the club, there's a real opportunity for members and newcomers to learn from one another.
We'd also love to see some of this year's beginners eventually sharing what they've learned with younger anglers. Someone who needs a bit of help making their first cast this autumn could one day be the person standing beside a young angler helping them make theirs.
The wider community benefits too. We work alongside organisations including Moyola FC, Castledawson Community Group, The Honourable The Irish Society, Moyola Estate and Mid Ulster District Council. These relationships help us reach beyond our membership, bring people together and look after the River Moyola as an important local resource.
Our aim is simple: more people getting outdoors, discovering angling, meeting others and feeling part of their local community.
How You Can Play Your Part
There are four simple ways you can help us reach our target and make Moyola Angling Association: Cast & Connect a reality.
- Make a pledge. Every donation, no matter the size, will bring us closer to our target and help us unlock Sport NI match funding.
- Spread the word. Share our Crowdfunder with your family, friends and on social media. The more people who hear about the project, the more support we can build.
- Offer a reward. If you're a local business, you can support us by donating a product, voucher or experience that we can offer as a reward to our supporters. We'll be delighted to give your business a shout-out in return.
- Fundraise for us. Fancy doing a sponsored walk, fishing challenge or another fundraiser? Use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page and let us know. Every bit of support will help us get this new programme off the ground.
Whether you donate, share our page or fundraise for us, you'll be helping people aged 65+ get outdoors, try angling, meet new people and become part of our club.
Thanks for getting behind us and helping more people in our community cast a line, make a friend and discover a new hobby.
Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £5,000 of match funding
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made