The Northants & Hunts Branch held five events this season: - April: Ringstead Grange fly fishing, - May Earith Lakes fly fishing, - June Ringstead Island coarse fishing, - July Earith Lakes coarse fishing, - September Ringstead Island coarse fishing.
The participants for these events came from Corby Business Academy, Wren Spinney School, Mather Franks Care Group, Samuel Pepys School, Landowne Care Centre, East Hunsbury Primary School, Olympus Care Services and Ashgrove Outreach. They were supported by our dedicated team of casters, and helpers, who set up camp and prepared refreshments throughout the day.
We were grateful for the support from Provincial Office with the presence of WBros Norman Pope, Brian Silsby, Ged Dempsey, Trevor Boswell and Tim Arnold who each spent a day at one of the events, and we received a surprise visit by our PGM RWBro Max Bayes at our last event of the year. The other distinguished visitors were Dr Ahmed Mukhtar, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, and WBro Barry Rogers, Charity Steward of the Lodge of Perseverance and a trustee of The Margaret Giffin Charitable Trust.
We were pleased to receive donations from these, also from the Douglas Compton James Charitable Trust, the Piscator Lodge and Chapter. Their donations enabled the purchase of two new ‘pop up’ marquees, which we look forward to using during 2016.
I am pleased to report that our new box trailer, sign written ‘Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire Branch’ over the MTSFC logo, proved to be very beneficial this year for the storing and movement of all our equipment from event to event.
During February David Houghton, after consultation with the local Environmental Health Office responsible for food preparation, health and safety, produced an operation manual for our events. Adam French, a Senior Health officer, made an inspection at our event on the 23rd April and was pleased to advise that we had achieved a FIVE STAR RATING for food safety under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Finally, I am pleased to report that all the Special Needs participants were seen to ‘Catch the Smile.’