The Angling Trust is delighted to announce a new £4,000 sponsorship deal with Thames Water and Severn Trent Water that will see both companies backing Angling Trust RiverFest 2013.

The sponsorship will ensure that there is a prize pool of at least £24,000 available to anglers competing at the grand final, to be held on the River Wye on the 16th and 17th of November 2013. This is already the largest payout for a UK river match and could rise further to £26,000 if the remaining qualifiers sell out.
Both Thames Water and Severn Trent Water are the latest partners to contribute to the National Angling Strategy, which is bringing a wide range of organisations together to promote and improve angling.  This sponsorship package is a sign of their commitment and support for match angling and river fishing in their respective regions.

Ben Thompson, National Competitions Manager for the Angling Trust said “Angling in this country has a rich tradition for match fishing on our natural waterways and we hope this competition will get our anglers back on the river banks. Our National Angling Strategy aims to get more anglers fishing more often and it’s fantastic that two of the biggest water companies recognise the importance of angling to many of their customers and its benefits for the health and social well-being of communities.  The support received from Thames Water and Severn Trent Water will enhance RiverFest and ensure that this fantastic new competition is an attractive proposition for the numerous river match anglers throughout the country.”

Andy Parsons, Visitor Experience Business Manager for Severn Trent Water said “this is another great example of being able to balance the needs of the environment water supply whilst offering sporting and recreational opportunities for our customers. At Severn Trent Water, this is something that we look to do whenever possible. We are pleased to support the Angling Trust RiverFest 2013.”

Angling Trust Ambassador Dave Harrell who came up with the original idea for RiverFest 2013, said: “I am delighted that Thames Water and Severn Trent Water want to support the event and on behalf of all the anglers taking part, a very big thank you goes to both companies. The qualifiers have been tremendously well supported by anglers and it promises to be a fantastic final with the biggest ever individual river prize of £10,000 going to the winner!”

Will Barnard, Angling Development Manager for Thames Water said:  “We value our involvement with the angling community and are pleased to support the Angling Trust RiverFest competition which has one of its qualifiers on the River Thames.  It’s very important to us that the Thames, which provides the majority of the water we supply to our customers and receives treated effluent from many of our sewage treatment works, is also a productive venue for this exciting new competition.”