ATA’s first newsletter, Angling Trades Aspect No1 (ATAA1), was sent out to 63 primary contacts listed on the ATA members’ database. Since that initial send, the number of recipients has steadily increased as new ATA members join and requests from existing ATA members for more staff to be included in circulation, continues to grow.

The launch edition was initially opened by 44% of recipients but this figure had increased to a total of 162 opens and counting when last checked, indicating that a) more members realised that ATA had a newsletter and or b) people were reopening the newsletter to read further after that first look.

Increased awareness of this new dimension to ATA should in turn provoke an increasing need for a newsletter that does more, and already, Aspect is attracting comments and suggestions about how it’s role might be expanded.

This positivity shows the want for good communication within a trade association and a sense of community, and we hope that Aspect will continue to play a lead role development of that element creating yet another benefit for members.

In the long term, Aspect should be providing more than an insight into ATA’s work, trade affairs and the odd “food for thought” topic affecting the industry. To this end, we invite members to contact the ATA office and put forward suggestions for regular Aspect features that they would like to see. Also introduced in November 2022 to back up the service provided by Aspect, was the ATA Newsflash. Designed to cover any instance where urgent news items affecting ATA or the industry needs to be aired swiftly.

ATA Newsflash had its first outing in 2022 to highlight ATA’s Get Into Fishing campaign and Game Fairs project destined for launch across all three Game Fairs in the 2023 series.