Cast at Newstead
CAST Newstead was the very first CAST community project and has been operating since 2001. The group was initially set up as a voluntary project and started as a response to a meeting with local young people who were fishing the waterfall pool at Newstead Abbey Park where fishing was not allowed. Young people from Newstead are now allowed to fish in the Abbey in return for demonstrating a sense of responsibility and carrying out conservation work for the Park. The members of CAST Newstead have held the fishing rights for Newstead Abbey Upper lake for seven seasons and the group are now in their 8th year of activities.
The enthusiasm and achievements of the first group of 16 young people, all residents of Newstead Village, inspired the development of the various CAST groups and courses who have followed in their footsteps and the group in Newstead Village now has over 30 young people involved in varied activities.
Wag, Danny, Bass, Toz, Bean and Nutt on the first ever CAST trip 2001
Like the other CAST community projects CAST Newstead meet once a week for a mix of practical fishing sessions, evening sessions at Cornerstone House completing the Angling and Environment OCN, visits from agencies such as Sexions and accessing whatever support they need as young people and members of the local community.
Danny, Toz and Bass. As the lads get older the fish get bigger 2004.
CAST is more than just an angling project and young people from CAST Newstead are involved in annual community based projects which aim to deliver skills training and youth awards as well as ensuring that young people are seen as being valued members of the community. Projects have included restoring the Bottom Garden Allotments, landscaping the Village Green and setting up and running Newstead Treefest, a two day community festival. In addition the group raised money to buy a new fishing boat for a fishing family from Unawatuna in Sri Lanka following the Tsunami in 2004.
Final touches to the allotments 2006.
Current activities include raising money for the restoration of the West Front of Newstead Abbey and clearing woodland for an extension of the village cemetery. The latter has led to nine of the original CAST members qualifying as chainsaw users through CAST and provided funds for the annual narrow boat trip which sees up to twenty young people from Newstead enjoy a boating and fishing holiday.
Bass, Genty, Danny and Jesse qualify as chainsaw users and raise money for a narrow boat trip 2009.
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The group in Newstead is run by Mick Leivers along with John, Toz and Wag, three CAST members who have all taken coaching qualifications through CAST and now pass on their knowledge to their peers.
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