Charity fishing club 'shocked and saddened' after arson attack destroys £6,000 in equipment as police launch probe

The group was started in 2023 to help people with mental health issues, as he suffers from anxiety.

Northamptonshire Police said the fire, which started between 12.30am and 1.30am on Monday, October 13, was thought to have been deliberately started.

They estimated that there was around £2,000 of damage caused, but Mr Parkins believes the costs were up to £6,000.

Mr Parkins, the director of Fishing for Minds and welfare officer for the angling club, said he had a phone call that the container unit where all their equipment was stored had been "torched".

He described being "shocked, saddened and a bit upset" at what has happened, adding: "My mental health has taken a bit of a hit, to be honest."

Speaking on the incident, he said: "You've got to be a real scumbags to rob a charity."

As well as fishing equipment, all the group's maintenance equipment was destroyed, including a lawn mower, seat boxes, chairs and trolleys.

Mr Parkins said: "We got this money. We were going to invest in this to teach different styles of fishing. Now we've got to go back and start with the basics again."

"I was trying not to cry, to be honest with you, and was upset."

A fundraising appeal set up to help the charity has raised over £200 so far.

GB News readers can donate to the fundraiser here.

The director explained that they didn't have any money saved so the fire has been a "massive setback".

He told the People's Channel that the local community has donated equipment, but they've had to operate at a much lower capacity than before.

"It's more been one-to-one, rather than doing group sessions," Mr Parkins explained.

Officers urged anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area prior to the fire being started or while emergency services were in attendance to contact them.

Speaking on the donated equipment, he added: "It will just go towards rebuilding infrastructure and helping buy equipment we need in the short term.

"More than anything, what a great community, the fishing community is with donations and all that means more than anything and puts my faith back in what we do."

A statement by the club read: "Our shipping container that had taken five years to save for, with all our maintenance equipment and fishing equipment, was broken intoand then set alight. We can’t tell you how heartbroken we are at the thought of how we can get people back out on the bank to enjoy this amazing sport.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter