After a two-year break caused by Covid-19 lockdowns, the 19th Wales Air Ambulance Open Beach Fishing Competition was held on Sunday, January 8, on Amroth beach in South Pembrokeshire. It was organized by members of Pembroke and District Angling Club and Osprey Sea Angling Club.
The Effect of COVID-19 on Air Ambulance Services
Even though the demand for air ambulance vehicles had shot up during the pandemic, keeping them afloat was quite a challenge. New safety protocols had been put in place and the costs of maintaining and running air ambulance vehicles had shot up. It was especially tough for countries like the United Kingdom where most air ambulance services are dependent on the locals for fund-raising to a large extent.
The air ambulance charities had to solely rely on government and corporate funding for close to two years. However, with the cloud of the pandemic moving on, brighter days are here now. Communities can now come out and do their bit. That’s precisely what is happening in the United Kingdom these days. Fishing on Amroth beach was one such attempt.
About the Air Ambulance Fund-Raising Event
There were only brief, light showers during the competition, but the days before and after were very different from what had been experienced locally in the weeks leading up to the competition.
Once more, the weather gods were on our side, which meant that the conditions were fishable but not great, with more than good surf to begin with, though this did lessen a little as the tide came in. This did not bode well for a good catch because it appeared that a lot of sand was moving around in the surf and burying weights in the beginning, but overall, the event was successful and raised money to the tune of £1,405.
