Holdfast Training Services Ltd hosted their second annual Carpers for Veterans fishing event at Oak Lakes Fisheries on 10-12 September and raised circa £4000 for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Last year, sixteen anglers took part in the two-day event which raised over £3000. The event organiser, Mark Jobling, says: “The event brought together veterans, serving military and civilian anglers with the common aim of raising money for an extremely worthwhile military charity. We were proud to be a part of it and to raise as much as we did!”.
The event took place at Oak Lakes Fisheries in Southminster, a 60-year-old 10-acre lake for the second year in a row. Mark says:
“The lake holds a good head of carp up to 30lbs. It also has a great head of bream and mixed coarse fish. Oak Lakes Fisheries is an outstanding venue with excellent facilities and hospitality”.
As well as the competition, the weekend also involved a charity raffle and auction with many tackle and bait companies kindly donating numerous prizes. Mark says:
“The support which the event receives knows no bounds, and the generosity of all those involved, in particular Oak Lakes Fisheries and local businesses, is truly humbling”.
If you would like to show your support, you can visit the event’s JustGiving page here: Mark Jobling is fundraising for Blind Veterans UK (justgiving.com)
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic Blind Veterans UK has adapted its service to support its 5,000 beneficiaries, 90% of whom are over 70 and were advised by the Government to self-isolate. The National Support Service has helped blind veterans through this period of social isolation.
