Logs to Riches: Angling Club branches out with ‘Honesty Log’ scheme

The members-owned fishing club proudly presented their latest donation of £2,278 in December. Much of this was raised through their annual 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon event.

Come hail, rain or shine, you will find these dedicated fishermen and women sat on the side of their pond every August bank holiday weekend, trying their hardest to stay awake whilst hoping for the prize catch. Some have even fallen asleep and ended up having a dip! Whatever happens – it’s all good, competitive fun.

Chairman Danek Imiolek said, “Francis House is a charity that we can all relate to and we are proud to support this cause. Each year the Fish-A-Thon raises between £1,000-£2,000 and one of the fundraising team always comes along to show support, which is fantastic”.

The members of the club are very proud of their pond and meet regularly to take on the many maintenance duties required to keep it in tip-top condition. Tasks include cleaning the pond and surrounding areas, trimming bushes, grass-cutting, weeding, painting, and more recently, cutting down a number of very large trees that were overgrown.

This posed the question of what they should do with the trees and branches once cut. Their answer: “Let’s chop them into logs and sell them to raise funds for Francis House!”

For the last 18 months, that is exactly what they have done – with very successful results.

The main ‘Log Worker’ is Lee Cherry, who advertises the logs and has set up an honesty system for local residents to donate in return, raising hundreds of pounds to date.

Julie Williams, Senior Fundraising Officer, said “I have been working with the club since 2019 and love the enthusiasm of the members. The Honesty Log scheme is an excellent initiative which has given a nice boost to the already impressive amounts that the club donates each year.

“Fishing is something I used to do as a child with my own father, so it’s great to see the younger generation getting involved. I would highly recommend this club to anyone who is looking for a membership or just fancies a new hobby – give it a go. You will not meet a more friendly and supportive bunch.”

If you are interested in joining the club, please visit www.reddishanglingclub.com.