WHEELYBOAT TRUST

THE WHEELYBOAT TRUST

formally known as the Handicapped Anglers Trust officially changed it's name on the 1st March 2004

"The Alan Faulkner Memorial Award"

The Handicapped Anglers Trust is delighted to announce the creation of a new annual award in memory of it's Founder President and Wheelyboat inventor, Alan Faulkner, who died last November.

The Alan Faulkner Memorial Award will be presented to the game fishery that, in the opinion of the judges, provides the best facilities for the disabled anglers. The award will comprise of a trophy and a cheque for £500.00.

Nominations forms and guidelines are available from HAT'S Director:-

Mr Andy Beadsley Tel: 01798 342222 Email: wheelyboattrust@btconnect.com

Last years award 2003 went to Stonebridge Trout Lakes of Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

This years award has gone to Eyebrook Trout Fishery of Caldecott.

Alan Faulkner was a lifelong angler and keen fly-fisher and conceived the idea of the Wheelyboat after a friend was paralysed in a fall. The aquatic environment is generally pretty inaccessible to wheelchair users and others with mobility problems. The banks are often steep and unmade and where there is access it may be limited and offer little opportunity to fish the water effectively. Standard boats are difficult to get into and once on board the disabled angler is totally reliant on a boat partner. Wheelyboats overcome all these difficulties; they make the entire water accessible, are simplicity itself to board and the flat deck provides access throughout thus giving disabled anglers the dignity of their own independence. The Handicapped Anglers Trust charity was formed in 1984 to promote and provide the Wheelyboat.

The Alan Faulkner Memorial Award has three purposes:

It will be a fitting tribute to Alan and the work of providing disabled anglers with opportunities to fish on equal terms with their able bodied counterparts that he initiated through HAT and the Wheelyboat.
It will reward the game fishery that is best addressing the needs of disabled anglers.
It will help publicise the cause of disability angling to a wider audience and help demonstrate that, with the barrier to the pleasures of game angling.

According to the Environment Agency, there are 60,000 disabled licence holders. However, with 8½ million disabled people in the UK there is a huge potential for the numbers of disabled anglers to increase. In order for this to happen, fisheries need to improve their access and facilities and the sport of angling needs to communicate more with disabled people in general to demonstrate that angling's charms and pleasures are availible to all.

FOR A FULL LIST OF WHEELYBOAT LOCATIONS GO TO:

www.wheelyboats.org