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Fishing for Schools has a new ambassador

by Angling Times |

Updated on3rd December 2025 at 7.23am

Fishing for Schools, the nationally acclaimed programme leading the way in educating young people about angling, the countryside and conservation, has a new ambassador.

The scheme, part of the Countryside Alliance Foundation, is delighted to announce that James Duffy (also known as Big Duffs Fishing) has agreed to become an Ambassador for Fishing for Schools.

Since its inception in 2007, Fishing for Schools has been dedicated to transforming the lives of disadvantaged children and young people by taking them out of the classroom and into the countryside. Over 4,000 children and young people from 150 schools have benefitted from the innovative programme, which harnesses the art of fishing as a powerful platform to cultivate essential life skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, and resilience.

Big Duffs is an avid angler with 14 years experience working in the industry. He is celebrated for using his huge following on social media to educate the younger generation and their parents about the benefits of fishing. Between various platforms, Big Duffs reaches tens of thousands of fishing fans, hosting TikTok 'lives' a whopping seven nights a week.

As an ambassador for Fishing for Schools, Big Duffs will help promote the leading angling educational initiative. His expertise, visibility, and understanding in educating young people, will be invaluable in extending and promoting the important and unique work of the Fishing for Schools programme to the Peaks area and beyond.

Renowned angler and Fishing for School Director Charles Jardine said:

"I am absolutely thrilled that James has accepted the role of Ambassador for Fishing for Schools. To have an angler and carp fisher the calibre of the mighty Big Duffs wanting to be part of our initiative is a blessing.

"James' skill in angling and understanding of social media and the vital role it makes in enthusing thousands of young people is a tremendous asset to both our current delivery programme and also our upcoming qualification process. With the help of James, Fishing for Schools will continue to go from strength to strength."

Earlier this year, Fishing for Schools launched its highly anticipated new qualification, "Angling and the Countryside", an Ofqual-regulated which will help young people develop practical skills, confidence, and pathways into further education and employment. The new qualifications have the potential to revolutionise thousands of young people’s education experience, and will be available to centres and schools across the UK from Autumn 2026, with pilot delivery beginning in 2025.

Charles (right) at the launch in the House of Commons

Commenting on the appointment, James Duffy (Big Duffs Fishing), said:

"I devote so much of my free time to helping the younger generation get into fishing - spending hundreds of hours on livestreams and creating helpful content across multiple platforms.

"Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a Fishing for Schools event in Westminster hosted by the Countryside Alliance, and it truly opened my eyes to how incredible this programme is. I didn't do that well at school myself, and it's not something I'm particularly proud of, so when Charles Jardine asked me to become an Ambassador, how could I possibly say no? It's an absolute honour to support a programme that gives young people confidence, purpose, and a passion for the outdoors."

The Countryside Alliance is delighted to welcome Big Duffs to the Fishing for Schools programme, and looks forward to continuing to educate the younger generation and promote the benefits of fishing up and down the country, with his support.

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