Moments from the bank

🎣 A little shout-out to Bennington Bait 🪱 We just wanted to give a proper shout-out to Bennington Bait and say thank you for the support they give us here at Mending Lines. They supply us with fresh bait for our sessions, including maggots and worms, and that support really does make a difference to what we do. As a small organisation, we really value the support of local businesses, especially ones that get behind us and help us keep things going for the young people and families we work with. It means a lot, and we always think it’s important to support the people who support us. 💚 So if you’re heading out fishing and need fresh bait, including maggots, pinkies, casters or worms, please keep Bennington Bait in mind. We’ve added their winter opening times, prices and contact details to the poster below, so everything is there if you need it. Thank you again for supporting Mending Lines — it’s genuinely appreciated. 🎣

🎣 A little shout-out to Bennington Bait 🪱 We just wanted to give a proper shout-out to Bennington Bait and say thank you for the support they give us here at Mending Lines. They supply us with fresh bait for our sessions, including maggots and worms, and that support really does make a difference to what we do. As a small organisation, we really value the support of local businesses, especially ones that get behind us and help us keep things going for the young people and families we work with. It means a lot, and we always think it’s important to support the people who support us. 💚 So if you’re heading out fishing and need fresh bait, including maggots, pinkies, casters or worms, please keep Bennington Bait in mind. We’ve added their winter opening times, prices and contact details to the poster below, so everything is there if you need it. Thank you again for supporting Mending Lines — it’s genuinely appreciated. 🎣

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Mending Lines Junior Match Club. Open to young anglers aged 12–18: It is a chance to fish friendly, organised matches, improve skills and be part of a proper team. There is a £20 registration fee, followed by £15 per match. All anglers must have and bring their own suitable fishing gear. Match results and league tables will be run through Hotfish. For more details on registration, Drop us a Message

Still a couple of afternoon sessions available 🐟🎣🐟

Lets get this shared :D

🚀 We need astronauts! 🚀 One of our AP learners has made this space-themed poster and wants to see how far it can travel. His message is: “Come and have a fish with our fishy astronauts!” 🎣👩‍🚀 If you spot it, please give it a share and help us see how far it goes! #MendingLines #Fishing #Space #YoungPeople’sWork

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for our Veterans’ Fish & Chat yesterday 🎣💚 It was lovely to bring everyone together for some fishing, a chat and time by the water. Special thanks to Keith Girling,Newark and Sherwood District Council, Bennington Bait, Aquastim and Witham Grange Glamping for supporting the day and helping make it possible. And to the veterans who came along — thank you for spending the day with us. We hope to see you all again soon! 💚

🎃 HALLOWEEN FISHING 🎃 We’re heading to Willow Lakes, Foston on Friday 30th October for a Halloween fishing session! Choose from: 🎣 10am–12pm 🎣 1pm–3pm £10 per angler. All equipment and bait supplied Rod licence too Come dressed up if you fancy it — sweets for everyone in costume! 🍬 Spaces can be booked through Swimbooker. #MendingLines #HalloweenFishing #WillowLakes #Foston #JuniorAngling #KidsFishing #FishingFun #HalloweenFun #GetFishing #FishingCommunity https://swimbooker.com/event/5aa724e5-24c7-40e7-bee2-529404ba0bca

🎃 HALLOWEEN FISHING 🎃 We’re heading to Willow Lakes, Foston on Friday 30th October for a Halloween fishing session! Choose from: 🎣 10am–12pm 🎣 1pm–3pm £10 per angler. All equipment and bait supplied Rod licence too Come dressed up if you fancy it — sweets for everyone in costume! 🍬 Spaces can be booked through Swimbooker. #MendingLines #HalloweenFishing #WillowLakes #Foston #JuniorAngling #KidsFishing #FishingFun #HalloweenFun #GetFishing #FishingCommunity https://swimbooker.com/event/5aa724e5-24c7-40e7-bee2-529404ba0bca

People often ask how Mending Lines came about. This is my story. As a young lad, I’d strap my fishing rod across the crossbar of my bike, stop at the tackle shop for half a pint of maggots and head down to the River Trent in Newark with my mates. We’d spend hours on the bank, chatting and waiting for a bite. Those are still some of my happiest memories. As I got older, I became a welder and engineer. I loved my job, the people I worked with and the friendships I’d made. In my twenties, I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, which affects my spine, pelvis and ribs. I carried on working for as long as I could, but in 2016 I collapsed at work in agony. Eventually, I had to leave the career I loved. Losing that part of my life hit me hard. Between chronic pain, hospital appointments and sleepless nights, my mental health suffered badly. There were times when I didn’t want to carry on. My wife Debbie and my family stood by me through it all. With their support and counselling, I slowly began to find a way forward. During the pandemic, a specialist pain psychiatrist suggested that having something positive to focus on each day could help. I’d always wanted a dog, so that same day I contacted a rescue centre. That’s how Dolly came into my life. ❤️ She gave me a reason to get up, get outside and keep going. Then, in 2020, a lifelong friend invited me fishing at Balderton Lake. For the first time in years, I felt like I’d found a bit of myself again. The pain hadn’t gone, but for those few hours beside the water, it wasn’t taking over everything. In 2024, I was fishing at the same lake when a gentleman stopped for a chat. He told me he was struggling with anxiety, and we ended up talking for more than two hours. We listened to each other, and by the time we left, we both felt better. On the way home, I kept thinking about how many other people might benefit from something like that. I contacted the Angling Trust, trained as an angling coach and, in November 2024, took an idea for a community fishing project to Balderton Parish Council. They backed it, and with support from the Angling Trust, Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire County Council and local partners, Mending Lines began. I remember wondering whether anyone would turn up to those first sessions. But they did. Young people, families, veterans, people struggling with their mental health and people who just wanted some company. They came to fish, but the conversations and friendships became just as much a part of the day. Since then, Mending Lines has helped around 3,000 people through fishing, wellbeing and education. We’re now an approved Alternative Provision, helping young people reconnect with learning through fishing and the outdoors, with accredited learning opportunities too. We also continue our work with the wider community. There are now five of us employed by Mending Lines, including me, alongside a team and supporters who help make it all possible. I’m grateful to Debbie, my family, friends, the Mending Lines team and every organisation and person who has supported us along the way. I still live with chronic pain every day. Some days are harder than others, but Mending Lines has given me purpose again. When someone catches their first fish, starts to grow in confidence or says, “I really needed today,” it reminds me why we started. I never imagined those childhood days on the Trent would lead to this. Fishing helped me find my way back. Now I want to give other people that same chance. Chris 🎣