An Introduction to "Stoney & Friends"

1996 – 2017 and counting.......

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For those of you who might not know….Stoney & Friends raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support by running angling events, attending angling shows with our pegboard, sky diving, parachute jumping, cycle riding, dressing up as nurses (some of the guys like that a little too much) and any other means at our disposal.  We rely on the generosity of our supporters who donate tackle, clothing, bait etc. for prizes and our friends who buy tickets to attend our many fish-in’s and generally empty their pockets for the Stoney & Friends / Macmillan cause. 

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I (Allan Stone) started fund raising for Angling Projects in the early nineties and once the projects had come to fruition I thought my fund raising days were over, WRONG!!  People who had been involved in fish-ins started to want to know when the next event was, and that’s when "Stoney & Friends" was born.  

 

Ian Welch who was the angling manager at Leisure Sport Angling offered us the use of their venues and facilities (Wraysbury, Thorpe Park and Yateley) with this generous offer fortunately continuing throughout the life of RMC Angling & Cemex.  Huge thanks must go to all that have supported us.

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At about this time my mother was taken ill (and unfortunately died of cancer) so the charity solution was solved, I approached Macmillan Cancer Support and asked if they would like to accept our raised monies, they thought I was mad!!  From the early days of 30 odd anglers raising three thousand pounds in a weekend at Yateley we have had as many as 168 anglers present, all of whom have helped to raise over £23,000 in one weekend - a fantastic achievement I'm sure you'll agree. 

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With all the events we now undertake Yateley remains the 'Jewel in the Crown' (our 20th year in 2016 - thanks to Martin Gardner (Yateley West Fishery) for his support, where anglers meet on an annual basis rekindling friendships they have made over the years.  There are of course many of the much sought after Yateley fish caught over the weekend, with all the lakes giving up some of their prizes every now and again.

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Recently "Stoney & Friends" has passed the the five hundred thousand pounds barrier for which we must thank all our sponsors and supporters, who without them we would never have raised as much money as we have for Macmillan Cancer Support.

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Our plan is continue to write about our fundraising story as time goes on; so we will be adding a yearly blog to our full report, which can be found here: 

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Thank You

 

Allan Stone

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