Our good friend and ESF contributor Keith Passant tells us about the excellent work that Casting for Recovery do
I trust most of you reading this will know of, or have heard of, Casting for Recovery but if not please allow me to introduce us. Casting for Recovery (CfR) is a charity that primarily introduces ladies that have, or have had, breast cancer to fly fishing. So what you may say?
Well breast cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers in women. According to Cancer Research UK from over 176,000 cancer cases presenting to doctors by women in 2014 31% were breast cancer patients. That’s 54,560 + women with the disease. Scary thought eh?
Thankfully however breast cancer is also one of the most treatable cancers occurring in women. Probably due to the now more widespread awareness of the disease and the encouragement given by the health care services for women to undergo examinations, the disease is normally caught at an early stage.
However it’s still a hard situation to deal with for the lady involved and there is only so much that the health care organisations can do.
Step forward CfR.
CfR was started in the USA in 1996 in Manchester, Vermont by a surgeon and a fly fisher. From there it has spread its wings to touch Canada, Australia, New Zealand and here in the UK and Ireland.
The UK and Ireland charity was set up by Sue Hunter, a breast cancer survivor, and Sue Shaw about 10 years ago. Both Sues have fished for the England Ladies Fly Fishing Team, both captaining the team and both passionate about this charity.
The Sues brought the charity to the UK from the USA and it has gone from strength to strength since.
So what does CfR do exactly? Well the charity provides fully funded two and a half day retreats for any lady that has or has had breast cancer. All the retreat participants are chosen by dipping into the hat. No favouritism, no “she can afford it more”, just plain old lucky dip. Up to 14 very lucky ladies.
All the attendee has to do is get there.
The weekend get-togethers are called retreats. Retreats are held in five locations each year and cost around £5000 per retreat to run and all of it has come from donations.
These are held in the Mount Falcon Hotel, Co Mayo, Ireland. The Coniston Hotel & Spa North Yorkshire. Forbes of Kingenny, Dundee Scotland. Kimbridge on the River Test, Hampshire and the Arundell Arms Hotel in Devon.
Starting on the Friday the attendees arrive anytime from mid-day onwards at the retreat location. Participants are given the meet and greet by the co-ordinator and shown where they will be sleeping. Introductions to other participants, instructors and mentors also take place, usually over dinner.
All of the retreats are conducted in hotels and on trout fisheries with fantastic facilities.
After a brief get-together and introductions the equipment for the weekend’s main occupation is issued. Absolutely everything required for the course is available for the participants. From waterproofs to floatants; it’s all handed out.
The equipment supplied is sponsored by Orvis. Fitting really as their head office is in Manchester, Vermont!!
Why fly-fishing? Well the treatments and exercises recommended by surgeons for anyone having undergone breast cancer surgery are actually similar to a fly cast without a rod. So why not add in the benefits of being in the countryside, relaxing with a like-minded group of ladies and learning a new skill? Oh and coming away with newly forged friendships amongst participants and supporters.
The weekend is however not all about fly fishing. There are also sessions on relaxation methods, group therapies, one-to-one mentoring and support along with all the fly fishing aspects which cover entomology, casting instruction and fishing. The fishing activity takes place on the Sunday of the weekend and is usually held at a local trout fishery close to the hotel. Each of the participants is supported at the fishing venue by a local fishing guide. Everything that is needed for this is supplied. And it’s all free gratis to the participant.
Following the fishing on the Sunday there is a lunch hosted at the various hotels or fisheries where, having been treated to a fabulous feed, the participants, the guides and support team are given certificates to prove they survived a great weekend. And all the support team sign up again for the next one.
Like all small charities CfR has its nucleus of support team members that, in this case, include doctors and nurses who work in the treatment of cancer patients, organisers and instructors and general fab folk, all volunteers and all keen to make the weekends a huge success.
In the early days of its formation it was not unusual for the two Sues to end up sleeping on the floor in an attic room, using all their holiday from regular jobs to support the charity and generally putting the participants first. This ethos of Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland still persists, though generally now the support staff have a decent bed to sleep in.
Last year in 2016 Sue Hunter stepped back from full involvement after moving to live out of the UK but Sue Shaw continues to work with the charity. From the start the charity has been part funded by the Countryside Alliance and this year, following the changes, they took a bigger role in running the charity. The Countryside Alliance Charitable Foundation took over from the two super Sues, and Jill Grieve, one of the CA’s stalwarts and CfR board member, took on running the retreats. Hard work followed which showed results but Jill realised there was a need for more support in making CfR work better. This year that support was forthcoming in the appointment of Sue Shaw as a full time co-ordinator for CfR under the banner of the CACF which is a massive leap forward for both the charity and the foundation.
I’ve been involved for about eight years fundraising and badgering people for help with prizes or auction lots and while it’s been hard work some of the time, but, it’s been massive fun all of the time. I would like to thank all of you that have supported me in my drive to raise funds and the support given by you to the charity in its endeavours to give back from our wonderful sport to a most deserving cause.
One very special thank you from me has to go to Bridgette and Steve Cooper who run the British Fly Fair International. Each year they have given CfR, and on a couple of occasions me, the opportunity to raise funds at the show.
Hopefully this has helped in your better understanding of the charity and its ideals. And I hope it will encourage you to help in any way you can, either here in the UK & Ireland or the other countries that are now running retreats. One of the newest will be Italy where a CfR Italy charity has set up with the help from Jill Grieve and Sally and Tony Pizii.
If you would like to help or know someone who can apply to attend a retreat follow this link to the charity website: Casting for Recovery
We look forward to hearing from you soon.