Youth Justice: On the Ground - Get Hooked on Fishing

Aim: To motivate disaffected young people

Funding: Donations and grants - differs for each project

Fishing therapy could soon be on its way to a community near you after initial research results revealed that catching fish can help disaffected young people.

Get Hooked on Fishing (GHOF) uses the buzz of catching a fish to motivate young people's re-engagement with learning.

Targeted at the disaffected or those not in education, employment or training (Neets), the scheme is being analysed as part of a three-year research programme looking at the social benefits of angling, funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

GHOF currently runs in 15 areas including Liverpool, Birmingham and Kent, after being set up in 2000.

Research on the projects, being carried out by Angling Research, has found that fishing is well placed to contribute to the government's desire to reduce youth offending and the number of Neet young people.

Natalie Djohari, joint lead of the research project, says the courses are aimed mainly at young people aged between 11 and 18 who have issues with self-esteem and confidence. Young people involved with crime or antisocial behaviour are also often involved with the project, with a number of referrals coming from youth offending teams.

"It looks to help the ones who are hardest to reach, those that don't engage in other activities who may have been, or are on the verge of being, excluded," says Djohari. "The key reason it works is that those working on the projects are able to adapt angling practices to engage young people.

"There is the success of catching a fish, which slowly builds up confidence and it also teaches young people to think about their behaviour. You can't run around loudly if you want to catch fish."

Djohari adds that sitting by the water for hours gives them the chance to talk about issues with mentors on a one-to-one basis.