Every year, a group of anglers spends a weekend at Oak Lakes Fisheries in Southminster, Essex, carp fishing to raise money for Blind Veterans UK. This year CGA was pleased to play a small part, donating two new BBQs for the event.
The weekend, Carpers for Veterans Support, is run by Holdfast Training Services and was first held in 2018. Since then it has raised around £25,000 for Blind Veterans UK, the charity supporting ex-servicemen and women living with sight loss. The amount raised has gone up every year.
The anglers are a mix of veterans, serving personnel and civilians. For many of them the weekend is now a fixed date in the calendar. The fishing raises the money, but the camaraderie matters just as much. A shared interest brings people together who might not otherwise meet.
To add to this year's total, Holdfast held a social BBQ on Saturday 19 September, with a raffle and an auction. Every prize was donated by angling companies. That is where CGA's two BBQs came in.
This year's event, held from 18 to 20 September, raised £5,170 for Blind Veterans UK. The cheque was received by a veteran who has been supported by the charity throughout his own sight loss journey, which made the presentation all the more poignant.
Thank you to Holdfast for organising another successful weekend, and to everyone who fished, donated and bid. We look forward to next year.
