Breast cancer fly fishing charity returns to Hampshire’s waters

Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland (CfR) provides fly fishing programmes at idyllic retreats around the UK and Ireland. Any woman who has experienced breast cancer is eligible to apply to attend a retreat (with medical clearance from their doctor).   Retreats take place over two-and-a-half days and all accommodation, meals, counselling, and professional instruction are provided at no cost to participants.  This retreat was made possible with a generous donation by Clay Brendish, owner of the Kimbridge-on-the-Test estate, and also by the financial backing of the Countryside Alliance. Appropriate clothing and fishing tackle was provided by Orvis UK. 

 

Fly fishing is a gentle exercise which requires no strength and is exactly the sort of exercise in which recovering breast cancer patients can participate safely. Fly fishing also offers those on retreat a chance to reflect and escape in tranquil surroundings. Casting for Recovery UK & Ireland began in 2006 and over 180 women have now been through the programme over 14 retreats. 

 

 

Casting for Recovery UK and Ireland’s Director is Sue Hunter, who recovered from breast cancer to become an international gold medallist fly fisher.  Sue said: “We were thrilled to return to Kimbridge for the second year and can’t thank Clay and his team enough for their generous hospitality. Casting for Recovery exists to provide a fun and memorable escape for participants, and where better than Hampshire with its magical fly fishing heritage; the ladies could not fail to love it. The team and I were delighted to give the ladies the opportunity to try fly fishing at such an amazing location and hope to return in the future to provide more ladies with the same experience.”

 

• Two further retreats will be held this year, one in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. Applications are now closed, but the 2011 programme will be announced shortly.

• Places at retreats are allocated by ballot and are subject to medical clearance.

 

Media enquiries should be directed to Jill Grieve in the Countryside Alliance press office on 0207 840 9220, 07775 938792 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it