A GREAT Oakley fishing site has helped improve the mental health of military veterans, emergency workers, and other vulnerable people.

Dr. Mark Wheeler PHD is the chief executive and clinical lead of iCARP (Investigating countryside and Angling Research Projects), a not-for-profit organisation in Great Oakley which has helped more than 500 people reduce their PTSD and other mental health symptoms.

Dr Wheeler is a trauma specialist and worked in Lexden Hospital in Colchester where many of his patients were military veterans making him very aware of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Research - Dr Mark Wheeler alongside joint chief executive and founder Dr Nicholas Cooper PHD published a paper with the University of Essex about the positive impacts of angling for mental healthResearch - Dr Mark Wheeler alongside joint chief executive and founder Dr Nicholas Cooper PHD published a paper with the University of Essex about the positive impacts of angling for mental health (Image: Submitted)

Dr Wheeler, 58, a chartered psychologist, said a very important element of the weekend fishing trips was socialisation as well as being in nature. 

He said: “We are still doing research so we can get a best practice for the NHS to use a ‘manual’.

“We’ve got more four more trips this year, then eight next year and then eight in 2026, then we have to prove, through research, how we can continue to help.” 

Coach - iCARP Coach Robbie Arnott helping a childCoach - iCARP Coach Robbie Arnott helping a child (Image: Submitted)

Three years ago, Dr Wheeler found farmland near the Great Oakley airfield, where previous fishing lakes had become derelict.

He cut out trees and enhanced the area with the help of military veteran volunteers. 

Dr Wheeler said: “I ran research trips on those lakes, originally just working with military vets, then that broadened to emergency service workers, anybody influenced and affected by trauma.

(Image: Submitted) Donations - A £30k predator fence was donated by a fishing tackling company, fish farmers across the UK donated fish, while sewage company Mantair donated a second lawnmower this week

“Now vulnerable children from Jaywick come, identified by Essex Police, members from the community mental health team in Tendring with their careers, refugees, alyssum seekers, autistic adults, and school refusers also come.”

For now the focus is on the “core” veterans and 999 personnel, with Dr Wheeler adding: “Further down the line we could socially prescribe, where instead of being given medication or being put in a waiting list for formal therapy you are prescribed social activities. 

"A third alternative, and to do that we have to have to the research, go through NICE guidelines.  Hopefully, if NICE agrees with us can help change the landscape of the NHS.”