Donington Angling Club received a cheque for more than £2,000 from the Lincolnshire Co-op

An angling club which was set up to keep residents active during the pandemic has been given a cash boost.

Donington Angling Club received a cheque for more than £2,000 from the Lincolnshire Co-op on Saturday, which will enable it to continue meeting for the next 18 months.

Despite only being founded last year, the group can now boast 61 members, with 15 juniors.

The £2,362.63 donated from the Market Place store will enable the club to begin expanding its horizons.

“It holds us in good stead for the future,” said founder Paul Slater, grateful of the support from the Co-op.

“I can keep us going for a year-and-a-half at our headquarters at the community centre.

“It allows us to do more training for juniors and hold some angling events.”

Upcoming plans for the club include a talk later this month by Philip Turton of the Pike Angling Club of Great Britain.

Meanwhile, the group’s awards night will be held on December 17, where a total of 102 prizes are set to be handed out to successful members.

The group has cast its net further than Paul had ever dreamed after being set up during Covid, when angling was one of the few pastimes allowed under Government restrictions.

Following a meeting on the Donington Cowley Endowed Primary School field in June last year, regular meetings and matches have followed.

“It gave people something to do and we were soon down at the bankside, socially distanced.

“We’ve been meeting every week since.”

Paul is particularly proud of the buoyant junior section – which he hopes can continue to expand – especially when the Angling Trust’s Get Fishing Campaign saw 42 juniors in action at Quadring over an 11-week period.

The club caters for all disciplines, including fly fishing, beach fishing, and coarse fishing.