Angling Trust Strengthens Team to Focus on National Angling Strategy



The Angling Trust are delighted to announce the recent appointments of Paul Sharman (writer, photographer and long-time Editor of well-known fly fishing websites Fish&Fly and the Fly Fishing Forums) as our New Media Manager, and Dr Rick Warner (keen angler and formerly performance manager and scientist with the government's veterinary agency AHVLA) as National Angling Strategy Manager.


In 2012, the Angling Trust was funded by the Environment Agency to develop a National Angling Strategy (www.anglingtrust.net/nationalanglingstrategy) called Fishing for Life. This includes promoting the work of a wide range of organisations in the angling community to increase angling participation and the social, economic and environmental benefits arising from it.

With a career background in business administration, project management and IT, Sharman will work with external partners to lead on developing and managing a number of websites and applications as well as running social media campaigns and issuing press releases in support of Fishing for Life.

Sharman said: "This new position is a great opportunity for me to combine my business experience and love of angling. My aim is to utilise the best of new media technologies to ensure we are communicating as effectively as possible. There is no doubt that smart-phones, tablets, apps and mobile-friendly websites which are already popular for sharing information will very soon be seen as the norm and so that is where we need to be too."

Following a career in scientific research and operations management, most recently at the government's veterinary agency AHVLA, Dr Warner will be working closely with angling bodies and other organisations to coordinate delivery of the strategy, and in particular its target to increase angling participation across all age groups, genders and backgrounds. He also recently took a PGCE teacher training course.

Dr Warner said: "I am delighted to be joining the Angling Trust at such an exciting time. The sport has so much to offer participants - whether young or old, beginners or more experienced. Through their care and commitment, anglers play an increasingly special role in protecting and improving the waterside environment. I am greatly looking forward to working with colleagues, our membership and the Trust's many partners, to bring Fishing for Life - to life!"