NFA or NAFAC

I am secretary for an association of presently 14 clubs representing some 1600 anglers in the Thames Valley and I've just completed a bit of asking around about the NFA and NAFAC.

So far I haven't found one club that is a member of the NFA and I have covered all the bigger clubs. One used to be a member and has been approached with a view to renewing but this is what he said in a Email "The guy from the NFA came to see our Committee, to try to persuade us to join, claiming that the NFA are the anglers representatives. I disputed this, as they only represent their members, and their pricing structure was too expensive for smaller clubs." They are now just members of NAFAC.

The remaining clubs only account for about 200 anglers and I really can't see them being members at all since the cost is too prohibitive and the fees they charge wouldn't cover the affiliation fee.

So who does the NFA represent if out of 1600 anglers, none are affiliated to the NFA?

Yet, 7 of those clubs are affiliated to NAFAC. Those clubs represent the lions share of anglers, around 1100 with another thinking of joining. WHY? Because NAFAC offer a good low cost insurance scheme for clubs and their members and they send out regular newsletters and they will take on anglers problems!

So why should the NFA claim to be the only angling body recognised by Government? Isn't it time we kicked this one about and got REAL representation where it belongs?

What do you think? Is your club a member of the NFA or NAFAC? Do you want the NFA to represent you? It's an open forum.

I think it was on your recomendation Jeff that my club, DCAC,joined the NAFAC. Like many clubs we were members of the NFA but dropped out some years ago when the membership could not see what it was getting from being a member. The money NAFAC has saved us already just on our public liability insurance has got to be worth the membership fee alone. Plus, we the committee, can now sleap safely in the knowledge that we are well covered against any claims against us as individuals.
AND there does not appear to be any internal power battles within the NAFAC.

Our club is a member of NAFAC on the back of the insurance for clubs and officials. We are also active in our local consultative.
The NAFAC newsletters cover matters of interest to our management team. Terry Mansbridge runs a good ship and Mark Hatcher has a head for the detail of Government papers etc.

Another organisation, of which I am a member, is a full member of NFA. Since Bob Clark left we have had nothing from them!!!

To be fair to NFA, Nafac is a fisheries organisation, not an angling organisation. NFA is an angling organisation, or it was the last time I looked. The new leadership wants change and is committed to achieving it, if the National Executive will let them.

Unless there is radical change within NFA I cannot see our club ever joining them.

Jeff I’ve made my personal views very clear about what I think about the NFA on the Conference thread. Mike states there’s new brooms in charge now, they have a lot of convincing and proving to do before I’ll consider them worthy of support.
But as a reasonable man, I’ll give them sometime to do this.