iCARP do such amazing work for military veterans, who form a major part of our community. The practical help for those participating, as well as the research that comes from it that, has huge impact for sufferers of PTSD now and in the future. The University of Essex is proud to be an iCARP partner.
The Angling Trust is extremely proud to be providing ongoing development support to the iCARP research projects. Dr Wheeler and the iCARP team are to be commended for their vital work using our sport of angling to help people struggling with poor mental health, symptoms of PTSD, Depression and anxiety. The Angling Trust are a representative body for all anglers in England and Wales. Our members support the campaigns we carry out to protect fish and fishing and our programmes to increase participation. We are recognised by Sport England as the national governing body in England and promote active lifestyles and maintaining a regular angling habit. www.anglingtrust.net.
BW Workplace Experts are proud to be supporting iCarp and take a keen interest in how the Lifted Lakes site is developing. We have visited the site several times, introducing new teams and key clients, and everyone has thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the time spent there.
We greatly admire the work that Mark and his team are doing for the military veterans and other groups needing therapy and support, and want to be a part in ensuring this work can continue in changing peoples’ lives. We are excited to see what the future holds, and hope that we can strengthen our partnership over the coming years.
I have in my role as a Children & Young officer with Essex Police been working with ICARP since early summer 2022.
I have accompanied young people who were deemed to be on the periphery of criminal activity or vulnerable due to mental health or social exclusion issues to ICARP fishing lakes. The young people attending the ICARP lakes were greatly supported by ICARP’s dedicated fishing coaches who were able to break down barriers with the most difficult and challenging young people who visited.
As a serving officer with Essex Police, I had the opportunity with support from ICARP to be with these young people whilst we fished together, and it almost immediately broke down some of the negative stereotypes that these young people had of myself and the police in general.
Being with these young people and fishing together whilst being supported by the ICARP fishing coaches created a better understanding and acceptance between myself and the young people at the ICARP fishing lakes.
During my visits to the ICARP fishing lakes I heard young people make such comments as “This is better than the estate”, “I wish I could stay here for ever”, Will you promise that I can come back”
I can’t but praise ICARP & their fishing coaches enough for the opportunity they have given young people in Clacton & Jaywick to take part in this excellent outdoor activity.
The Environment Agency funds the Angling Trust to provide more opportunities for people to go fishing and encourage sales of fishing rod licences. Money from fishing licence sales is spent on improving fisheries habitat and angling infrastructure through projects like the Angling Improvement Fund. You normally need a valid Environment Agency Rod Licence if you are aged 13 or over and fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England (except the River Tweed), Wales, and the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland.
An annual licence only costs £30 for up to 2 rods to fish for coarse fish & trout. Concessionary, short term and three rod coarse licences are also available. Visit www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence to buy one online.
Having been closely involved with iCarp in previous studies, we have seen firsthand how this ground breaking therapy is, quite literally, saving lives. Professional, insightful, approachable, and knowledgable. iCarp provide effective research into living with PTSD and real coping skills.
Mark is a totally dedicated lovely chap and seeing the change and enjoyment of the ex military we had the pleasure of meeting, and the smiles with each big catch due to Marks hard work was brilliant, and we’re pleased to be part of it.
We had the pleasure of having the ICARP team on our fishery to conduct a study on several Military veterans suffering the the effects of PTSD. The event was a great success, with several of the veterans commenting on how much their mental wellbeing had improved over the course of the week.
These kind of projects and research are unheard of, and the way the team put blood, sweat, and tears into all that they do is highly commendable.
We feel very fortunate to have been part of the project, and we are looking forward to working closely with them in the future.
The team at Korda Developments are very happy to support the research Mark and the team at iCARP are doing. The great work they are doing that involves the sport we all love (fishing) and it is a real pleasure to be part of something so enriching. Danny Fairbrass (Korda owner) feels that our support across the Korda social media platforms helps to increase the exposure of this great organisations and introduce our followers with PTSD to this treatment/opportunity. It also gives the veterans some exposure, which they deserve after all they have been through. Moving forward we will continue to offer our help alongside Mainline baits for future projects.
We are proud to support iCARP and the wonderful work they do in any way possible, their research is both ground-breaking as well as required, we commend them.
We have been watching Dr Wheeler and iCARP’s research for a short while now and we are full of admiration. We hope to be collaborating together on projects in the future and we are thrilled to be teaming up with such an incredible organisation.
We are extremely proud to have been involved in iCARP’s research projects in recent years. The interventions have been professional and innovative and the benefit to the participants has been evident, truly making a difference to their symptoms through the interaction. They are to be commended for their work.
TFT are proud to support iCarp CIC in their valuable efforts to support struggling military veterans through the magic of fishing. The benefits of angling on mental health have long been known but rarely exploited. Where iCarp is different to many other organisations is the fact they are not only teaching their participants to fish, they are conducting valuable research into the benefits of angling as a form of therapy for mental health sufferers. Their work is quite literally saving lives.
We at the Walnut Tree support the valuable work that iCARP do, this is demonstrated by our continued partnership working. iCARP is a truly Recovery focused organisation, focusing on the positives of what some can do!
In the time that we have been associated with iCarp, we have been amazed by their drive and commitment to tackling the lasting effects of PTSD. Their intuitive thinking, passion, and sheer determination to make the lives of our ex-service personnel better is inspiring, and we are committed to working with them, as they help to help those, who serve us.
When Mark first contacted us last year looking for a web designer to offer their help pro-bono, it didn’t take us much convincing. After watching several of their videos and reading their research, it was clear how much of an impact iCarp were making in helping our veterans and so we are honoured to have played a very small part in bringing their work to life.
We within the RAF Carp Team would like to thank and praise all those at iCarp for the incredible work they are doing for our Veterans and Serving members suffering with PTSD and other Mental Health Issues. The team of Veteran Coaches within the organisation provides a form of understanding that can’t be found from Civilian Life. We look forward to what the future brings with the work we can do together.
Solar Tackle have heard from far and wide the amazing work that ICarp’s been carrying out. It takes dedication and warm hearts to make the charity the success it has been.
Solar’s asked by many charities and fundraising events to be supported by us, unfortunately we can’t help everyone. ICarp was selected by the company to be backed by us this year. It’s with the greatest of pleasure we donated some fish care equipment for their own fishery, where a lot of the charity work takes place for veterans being introduced to the sport we all love.
Well done to all the staff at ICarp, you should be proud of everything that’s been achieved so far. No doubt it will carry on going from strength to strength.
Datum is proud to support iCARP, they are a remarkable organization for helping military veterans who are an important part of our community. The vital help they receive, as well the research that comes from it with be impactful to them now and in future PTSD treatment sessions – we look forward to working and supporting iCARP moving forward.
Red7Marine’s Marine Superintendent Rob Arnott has been supporting iCarp for a year and a half now, spending his weekends and spare time assisting the charity as a fishing coach.
As an Army Veteran himself, Rob understands how challenging the transition back into civilian life can be and is proud to be able to give back to something which is truly making a difference and saving lives.
Red7Marine celebrated becoming a Gold Standard Armed Forces Covenant Member earlier this year and we look forward to continuing to support iCarp and the Armed Forces community.
We are delighted and proud to support iCARP’s valuable efforts in making a difference for struggling military veterans through the gift of Carp Fishing. AreYouSports is a Skill Competition website where 10% of the profits of our carp competition are donated to iCARP. We also run dedicated competitions throughout the year where all profits go to iCARP to help fund their outstanding work in helping people struggling with PTSD and mental health. One of our directors being an ex-serviceman himself fully understands and appreciates the importance of the work iCARP is doing and this cause is therefore close to our hearts.
We are proud to support our British military veterans who are now able to include Beekeeping in their daily lives thanks to iCARP.
The BJ Sherriff team have been delighted to help kick-start the beekeeping project by supplying Apiarist bee suits, in albeit snazzy colours and will continue to help to support the organisations fantastic work.
Good Beekeeping and continue the great work!
At Mantair, we had no hesitation in supporting iCarp when they asked us to donate and install their septic tank that has enabled them to make welfare/toilet facilities available. During our time spent at iCarp, we couldn’t help but feel inspired by this fantastic local charity. iCarp clearly have a positive impact on supporting military veterans when traditional routes have often failed them. In fact, some of our colleagues commented on how just working on this project had a therapeutic effect on them. We have recruited a number of ex-service personnel, both past and present. This, combined with iCarp’s infectious passion over what they do, has opened the conversation about how we can support the armed forces further and to sign the armed forces covenant pledge. We hope this, in turn, will support iCarp’s strive toward the gold employee recognition award, which would be well deserved.
Blind Veterans UK is the national charity for ex-Service men and women with severe sight loss.
Founded in 1915 in response to blinded soldiers returning from the First World War, and previously known as St Dunstan’s, Blind Veterans UK has supported tens of thousands of Armed Forces and National Service veterans to rebuild their lives after sight loss. The charity knows that there are thousands of blind veterans out there who could be entitled to its support but are not receiving it.
While Blind Veterans UK initially cared for veterans blinded in active Service, today they help veterans no matter what caused their sight loss. If you or someone you know is entitled to Blind Veterans UK’s free support then please visit blindveterans.org.uk.
When Mark and Nick contacted me in the spring of 2021 to discuss the possibility of being involved in keeping honeybees at the Lifted Lakes it was a short conversation. I know how rewarding beekeeping can be and recognised the likelihood that it would help veterans and blue light workers facing the trauma of PTSD. Within weeks we were able to provide a course for clients, make hives, provide bees and ongoing support. To double the number of hives and produce beautiful local honey by the end of the summer was a massive achievement but the icing on the cake was of seeing the engagement of the clients and the ongoing care they have provided for the bees.
It has been an honour to be part of this project.
Healthwatch Essex have formed a strong working relationship with iCARP since the pandemic and have worked in partnership with them on projects, most recently within the military veteran’s community. Mark and the team have facilitated team building events with some of our programmes which has involved fishing, bee keeping experiences and a chance to use the boating lake. The venue has provided an opportunity for a safe space for relaxation, filming opportunities and networking events. Many of these events and activities have provided an opportunity for signposting, networking and relationship building within charities, other organisations, and the military veterans community. The work of iCARP goes above and beyond when making people feel welcome, and they have a clear understanding of the vital link between physical and mental health. The activities have a huge impact on wellbeing when taking part in activities such as fishing, whilst talking about anxiety, past trauma or the stress of every day life.
Active Essex Foundation (Sports and Youth Crime Prevention Project) work with a number of organisations including i-Carp. We have been really impressed by both the commitment and motivation of the staff who come along to training sessions and engage with our team and other providers really well (in the good old days we would call them really nice guys), but also with the concept. Whilst we work with community sports and activity providers with cohorts of young people at the edge of criminality and exploitation, we would had never considered fishing and the maintenance of the lake as perfect diversionary activity for these children and young people. The way Mark and his colleagues explain what they do and how they approach their work, and the feedback we are receiving, suggests this is an amazingly therapeutic, restful safe space for the young people – respite from their (often chaotic) lifestyles, and definitely seems to provide some solid trusted adult work. We are really pleased to have discovered i-Carp and look forward to continuing work with them.
The Kevin Nash Group are proud to support the iCarp project and will continue to help Dr Mark Wheeler and his team champion the need for structured support for those who have given the greatest commitment and service possible to protect us all. We understand the massive mental health benefits of fresh air and green space and the constructive mental engagement with wildlife and people that angling brings. As a company, we have a long history of involvement and support for military and service personnel and know that networks such as iCarp are literally life-changing.
