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Our work helps hundreds of people every year to improve their mental health

FREE SESSIONS

FREE 'Let's Go Fishing!' Events

our introductory coarse & sea fishing sessions during the spring and summer

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Learn how
to fish and improve wellbeing

  • Improve confidence
  • Structured Course Programs
  • Personalised 1-2-1 services
  • FREE introductory fishing events
  • Improve your Mental Health
  • Learn the essentials in angling
  • Develop your existing skillset
  • Improve Social skills
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First aid & Mental Health

Fully trained & Experienced
Most of our staff have been trained in Mental Health First Aid, Emergency First Aid and more to ensure our participants have a safe learning envirnoment.

Qualified Coaches

Certified upto Level 2 UK Coaching
Our Level 2 Lead coaches have been trained by an approved industry supplier, which is endorsed by 1st4Sport and Sports England.

Approved & Endorsed

By the Angling Trust, 1st4sport and Sports England
Our coaching programs and lesson structures are based on the leading Angling Trust fishing schemes, Get Fishing and CAST awards, which are designed to get more people fishing.

Safeguarding & DBS

Trained and registered staff Including a Welfare Officer
All of our coaches 18+ have been DBS checked, and most of our volunteer coaches have undergone safeguarding training to ensure our participants can feel safe and secure at any of our sessions.

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LET'S GO FISHING!
FREE Coarse Fishing Introductory Events

Let's Go Fishing! Open Day events are held during the spring and summer months every year, and are tailored Get Fishing scheme (Angling Trust) sessions to get more people fishing and improving wellbeing.

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LET'S GO FISHING!
By The Sea
FREE Sea Fishing Introductory Events

Let's Go Fishing! By The Sea Open Day events are held during the spring and summer months every year, and are tailored sessions to get more people sea fishing and improving wellbeing.

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ANGLING DEVELOPMENT
Training Programmes

The Angling Development (An integral part of AMHI) have designed structured lesson plans for students new to angling or those anglers who want to improve their fishing. We offer several types of course structures that are tailored to develop angling skills and improve confidence.
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FAQ

Frequently Asked questions

Is fishing good for mental health?

Going fishing, while enjoying the great outdoors has significant mental health benefits, including; reduced stress, increased concentration, boosted mood and overall improvement of self-esteem. Fishing has been directly linked to help people cope with the affect’s of depression and anxiety. The Angling and Mental Health Initiative CIC is a community interest company dedicated to harnessing the therapeutic benefits of angling to enhance mental health and wellbeing within the community. We operate at the intersection of recreational fishing, mental health awareness, and community development, aiming to create a positive impact on individuals and communities.

 

Is it just for children?

The Let’s Go Fishing! events and the Angling Development training programmes are for everyone, we are inlcusive of all backgrounds and community groups. We work hard to ensure our sessions are accessible to everyone in the local community and beyond.

 

How much is it?

Our event days are currently FREE to attend as they are funded for by the Environment Agency and the Fishing Rod Licence fees. We also work with the Angling Trust (the National Governing Body for fishing/angling) and local companies who also work as hard as we do to provide local communities with accesible outdoor experiences and other therapeutic forms of improving wellbeing. We also have Low cost training courses and lesson plans.

Where are you based?

We host events and training sessions in the local area of Sussex. We hold regular FREE events through out the spring and summer months, and training courses and lessons in between.

How do I book?

Booking a Let’s Go Fishing! FREE session is easy thanks to Eventbrite. We allocate 16 tickets per sessions, with 3 sessions on each open day event. These are held throughout the spring and summer months every year. You can book a session using the following link, tickets do go fast so book now to avoid dissapointment. 

Click here for the AMHI Eventbrite page

If you are interested in our training courses or lesson plans, get in touch or look at our ‘Hooked on Learning’ training programmes.

 

What do I need to bring to my session?

Our structured sessions are fully catered for, we have all the tackle needed to go fishing. We have a strong team of trained and experienced coaches who will introduce you to the sport of fishing and share with you their knowledge, ensuring your safety and wellbeing in a calm and peaceful learning environment.

 

Participants Stories

Discover how our programs have positively impacted the lives of individuals within our community. Through their heartfelt experiences and personal journeys, you’ll see the transformative power of angling and the support we offer. Read these inspiring comments and learn how our initiatives have made a difference.

Ben and team of volunteers are wonderful. Welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and patient! I wanted to get back into fishing after many years of not doing it, and to see if my children would take to it. My daughter, to my surprise, is 'hooked', quite literally. Thanks to Ben and the team for what I hope is just the start of our fishing adventure. We are looking forward to our journey!
My son is autistic and the guys are fantastic with him. They made it fun and answered all of his questions. They got him touching maggots which is a huge thing for us. I can’t thanks the lad enough.
We all loved the taster morning, it was excellent and we would highly recommend the sessions. Our coach Nigel was very kind and patient and gave us lots of tips and advice. The boys were thrilled to catch a Tench at the end of the session- it’s great to see them so enthusiastic! We will be booking further sessions. Thank you for a great morning.
It was good to see my teenager and their friend enjoying being outdoors. As an adult it was refreshing to try a new experience, especially one as tranquil and relaxing as fishing. The event was very well organised and inclusive. Thank you for having us!
A beautiful setting, a very helpful instructor and a wonderful experience for the family
I can't say enough good things about the organisation. This is such a vital initiative for the sport but the individuals who attend will gain so much more than a fishing session. My 6 year old son had a great time fishing under the guidance of Simon, who is an absolute gentleman and most definitely the right person to be doing this kind of thing. Thank you to everyone involved.
Thank you so much! I stumbled across this on social media and signed my husband and son up - they both came back with huge smiles!
My son and I have both struggled with our mental health and he really wanted to try fishing. He thoroughly enjoyed the day and is keen to take up angling as a pastime that will greatly benefit his mental health. Ben and his son Riley were both great, welcoming and helpful, even when we tangled our lines within 30 seconds of starting!. A great initiative, I'd recommend to anyone.
Such a fantastic cause and way to try out fishing. We are complete novices and were treated with patience and vast knowledge. So relaxing and now a favourite amongst myself, my son and his friends. Couldn’t recommend enough!
My son had the best time, he absolutely loved his it and the instructors were very patient with him even though he was quite exciteable. He caught 13 fish in his first session and is booked to come back for several more over the summer. The Let's Go Fishing programme is fantastic and I have already recommended your events to others.
This is a wonderful initiative, the children learnt so much from some very attentive and knowledgable professionals, a fantastic time had by all ages!
Find out more about us and our Event Days

The Founder's Story

Fishing was a cherished pastime from my childhood, a sanctuary where I found peace and respite from depressive thoughts. My younger brother, my best friend, and I would spend countless hours exploring rivers, lakes and ponds. Those fishing trips were a haven where I never felt the overwhelming anger, depression, and anxiety taht i was living with at such a young age. During my younger years I battled moments of feeling lost, out of control, not good enough and often experienced thoughts of how everyones life would be without me in it.  My youngest memory of contemplating ending my life was at the age of 12, with a few failed attempts. I often found the world difficult to understand, my family struggled to come to terms with it and often sought help from doctors and psychiatrists with no real success.

As I entered my late teens, life took a different direction, and fishing was left behind. Without it, I struggled with stress, depression, and anxiety. I lost friends to mental health issues and, unable to cope with my own struggles, drifted away from others. Unashamedly, I admit that I, again, came close to succumbing to the overwhelming burden of my mental health challenges. I battled through dark times, facing various addictions and dealing with underlying health issues like Neurofibromatosis Type 1, which brought learning difficulties and ADHD traits. Panic attacks were a frequent and unwelcome visitor, and the after effects of living in such a negative way have left me with life long conditions such as liver damage.

Now, I am a survivor, reborn from experiences that I know I was not alone in experiencing. I learned new ways to live with mental health issues, methods and mindsets that work.  Mental health is not something that can be cured, this much I have learnt, it is something to come to terms with, live with and gain control of.  Your mind needs to be managed, some more than others, and it requires work and more importantly finding a purpose.  

I truly beleive when you find your purpose, you find yourself.  Helping people, educating people and giving back is now my purpose, my passion and hopefully one day, my legacy.

The idea for AMHI (Angling for Mental Health Initiative) was born during the Covid-19 lockdown. Witnessing the frustration and stress it caused my children and those around me, I seized the opportunity to introduce my children to fishing. After a few sucessful fish, they were hooked, and I noticed the positive impact on their wellbeing and on my own mental health. The peace and solace fishing once brought me came flooding back, benefiting my children and me alike.

This realisation sparked a profound transformation in me. I saw that my experiences with anxiety, depression, and addiction could be harnessed into a positive force to help others. Now, my only addiction is making a difference in my local community and educating young people about mental health. It’s heartening to see how our community has evolved, becoming more accepting and understanding of mental health needs. Thanks to increased visibility through social media and television, initiatives like AMHI have gained significant traction for the greater good.

In addition to supporting mental health, AMHI is committed to enhancing the sport of fishing itself. We offer coaching sessions and low cost training courses to give back to the sport that has played such a pivotal role in my life and wellbeing. By providing these educational opportunities, we aim to develop skilled anglers and generate a deeper appreciation for fishing. Through these programs, we ensure that the legacy of fishing as a source of peace and joy continues for future generations.

AMHI was established to create a supportive environment where individuals could find peace and healing through fishing, just as I did. Our mission is to ensure that young people understand mental health and have the tools to manage it effectively, preventing them from feeling lost and overwhelmed. Through AMHI, we aim to create a community where mental health is openly discussed and supported, offering hope and solace to those in need. By promoting both mental health awareness and the sport of fishing, we strive to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of many.

Ben Harragan

Founding Director

Find out more about us and our amazing team

We worked with the Environment Agency, 23 Red London and Harry Clark (The 'Traitors' TV gameshow winner) for the Licence to Chill Campaign 2024

See the full video Here