The fishing group behind the UK's first NHS scheme to prescribe angling for anxiety and depression has been honoured by King Charles.

Dave Lyons, 41, started Tackling Minds in November 2020 after fishing helped him with his own recovery from over a decade of mental health struggles and alcohol addiction.

He teamed up with the NHS so GPs, nurses and other health care professionals could prescribe angling instead or alongside antidepressants and anxiety medications, in April 2021.

Initially working with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, 2,300 people have been prescribed a stint of fishing across multiple trusts.

And last month Tackling Minds, a community interest company won the King's Award for Voluntary Service - the business equivalent of an MBE.

Organisers hope it will be rolled out nationwide soon as part of the NHS' social prescribing initiative.

Dave, from Stockport, teamed up with the NHS in 2021 to help get angling prescribed instead of or alongside antidepressants and anxiety medications (Image - SWNS)

Dad-of-two Dave from Stockport, said: "I'm just ecstatic!

"I feel very very proud, of the group and all our volunteers.

"Now I'm thinking, 'what to aim for next?'

"This feels like the highest accolade we could have hoped for. I'm absolutely thrilled!"

Social prescribing, also sometimes known as community referral, is a means of enabling health professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services

It has been widely used by healthcare professionals in the past to encourage people to take part in befriending schemes or healthy eating courses.

All the kit and coaching is provided by Tackling Minds, a local not-for-profit group launched in November 2020.

Dave picks up his King's Award (Image - SWNS)

It received £10,000 in National Lottery funding and financial support from Rochdale Council and the Angling Trust.

Each participant gets a qualified angling coach trained to work with people in vulnerable situations, and each group has support workers.

The fish are released after they have been caught.

Dave got an email from Buckingham Palace officials on October 7 2025 explaining Tackling Minds had won the award.

Dave, who lives with his children and his partner business-owner Jennifer Smith, 39, said: "My family are very proud of the group, and of me, for everything I have overcome and am still battling. That's very touching."

He is looking forward to collecting the crystal award at a ceremony in Manchester in December, and to attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace in the spring.

He received congratulations from fishermen Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, and Tackling Minds ambassador Ali Hamidi.

He is dedicating the award to Tackling Minds' late ambassador Ricky Hatton, who lost his life to suicide on September 14.

Dave with the late Ricky Hatton, who was an ambassador for Tackling Minds (Image - SWNS)

Dave said: "Ricky helped me in my worst times in 2020.

"He gave me so much encouragement and we became friends.

"He worked so hard to support others with their mental health.

"I just know how proud he would have been of me, the family, and the group."

Tackling Minds now has over 50 volunteers and plans to expand its services to bring the peace of fishing to others in Lancashire and beyond.

Dave said: "If it wasn't for fishing I don't think I'd be here.

"People we've worked with have said it's saved their lives.

"That's huge for me, it's what keeps me going."

"There are lots of fishing groups working with the NHS now, so it's reaching thousands.

"I'm so glad we've been able to make such a difference to others, and it's lovely to have our hard work recognised like this."