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A team of four parents from Warwickshire have been working together to provide young people the opportunity to learn a new hobby and keep away from antisocial behaviour and crime.
With the motto “Pick Up A Rod - Not A Knife”, the Reel Rod Squad has had great success with teaching young people how to fish, and has recently received grant funding from the Angling Trust.
Bedworth Safer Neighbourhood Team PCSO Marc Lovegrove (a keen angler himself) has been attending a few of the Reel Rod Squad events himself.
The Reel Rod Squad has said that they really appreciate all the support from Marc and Warwickshire Police, and that he has done so much to help them with the group.
Marc said that “We’ve been working hard to identify young people suspected of antisocial behaviour, but when we talk to them the main response to the question ‘why are you getting into trouble?’ is usually ‘because we have nothing to do’.
“The Reel Rod Squad are doing an excellent job of filling that gap – the young people at their events are clearly having a great time, enjoying learning a new hobby, along with all the other benefits of being in the great outdoors.”
Marc has been helping to organise multi-agency meetings to try and provide activities to young people in the surrounding areas.
The meetings include local council services, Warwickshire Police, and other organisations like Keresley RFC and the Keresley community centre.
The Reel Rod Squad have been involved with these meetings as a prime example of how these activities can work.
For more information about the Reel Rod Squad, visit their Instagram @reel_rod_squad24.