“Bringing in the new breeding stock will also increase the variety and number of fish in our ponds, which will improve the experience for all our anglers.”
A West Yorkshire community angling club is all set for the new fishing season thanks to a four-figure grant from a renewable energy firm.
Parlington Angling Club has used a £1,500 grant awarded from Banks Renewables’ Hook Moor Wind Farm Community Fund to carry out essential repairs to the smaller of the two ponds that it uses on the Parlington Estate near Aberford, to the east of Leeds.
A leak that had developed in the fabric of the smaller pond has been repaired, ensuring that it retains the depth of water required by both fish and anglers, while the two lakes have also been restocked with around 200 new fish in time for the opening of the new angling season at the start of May.
New breeding stocks of tench and perch have been introduced to complement the other species that already inhabit the ponds, which include carp, roach and rudd.
Founded in 1995, Parlington Angling Club has around 60 members who are all based within a five-mile radius of its two ponds, with different generations of the same family regularly fishing together.
Further work is now ongoing to improve access to the two ponds for younger anglers and people with mobility issues, while maintenance is carried out on a regular basis to ensure the local environment remains in the best possible condition.
Terry Beaumont, treasurer and membership secretary at Parlington Angling Club, says: “Fishing is a pastime that is available to anyone aged from eight to 80 and beyond, and we have a number of families with different generations coming along to spend time together by the water.
“Repairing the leak in the smaller pond was becoming an increasingly urgent job and the support we’ve had from the Banks Hook Moor Wind Farm Community Fund has enabled us to get the required work done in time for the start of the new season.
“Bringing in the new breeding stock will also increase the variety and number of fish in our ponds, which will improve the experience for all our anglers.
“Looking after and improving the local environment is an important part of the club’s work and we’re continuing to look for ways in which we can do this, while also ensuring the ponds are fully accessible for all our members.”
Banks Renewables, part of the Banks Group, owns and operates the nearby Hook Moor wind farm, which generated enough renewable energy in the company’s last financial year to meet the annual energy requirements of around 8,200 homes, and by doing so, displaced over 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the electricity supply network.
It is also behind the planned Barnsdale Solar Energy Park scheme, which will include solar panels covering an area of around 50 hectares of south-facing land between Kippax and Allerton Bywater and will be able to produce enough energy to meet the annual requirements of up to 12,000 family homes.
Lewis Stokes, senior community relations manager at The Banks Group, adds: “The Hook Moor Wind Farm Fund is designed to support the work of community groups in surrounding communities and to improve the facilities and opportunities available to local people.
“Parlington Angling Club is a long-established part of the local sporting community and we hope its members enjoy many happy hours by the water right through the coming season.”
Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should first contact the fund manager via fundmanager@bankscommunityfund.org.uk or on 0191 378 6342 before applying for a grant to check if their group or project is eligible.