Don Catchment Rivers Trust

What Don Catchment Rivers Trust does

Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee established in 2008 (charitable status obtained 2010) and headquartered in Doncaster, UK. It is the dedicated Rivers Trust for the Don, Dearne, and Rother catchments, spanning approximately 700 square miles across West and South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and a small part of Nottinghamshire and covering 70 rivers, canals, and surface water transfers. The Trust's purpose is the protection, conservation, improvement, and rehabilitation of these river systems, which historically bore some of the most polluted and modified rivers in Europe.

DCRT delivers its work through a portfolio of grant-funded projects (Living Heritage of the River Don, Hidden Heritage Secret Streams, All Hands on the Don) alongside standing programmes in natural flood management, fish passage engineering, habitat improvement, citizen science, fisheries, education (River Guardians), youth engagement, and farmer cluster support (Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster covering 6,200 hectares). Technical methods include large woody debris installation, Larinier/baulk easement/rock ramp fish passes, leaky dams, hedgerow restoration, Riverfly/ARMI invertebrate monitoring, electrofishing, and long-term ecological surveying — supported by over 300 trained volunteers, 1,177+ pupils engaged in school programmes, and a board of trustees with deep sector expertise. The Trust's work has reconnected 6.5 km of the River Don through five fish passes in Sheffield and produced the first wild-born Atlantic Salmon parr in over 200 years in 2025.

DCRT's business model is structured as a non-profit grant-funded operation rather than a commercial enterprise. Primary revenue streams are project and programme grants from bodies including the National Lottery Heritage Fund (three flagship projects totalling roughly £2.96m), Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Natural England, Garfield Weston Foundation, and several other charitable foundations. Secondary revenue comes from individual donations via PayPal and optional donations for talks delivered outside project areas. There is no commercial product, no disclosed pricing, and no subscription or licensing revenue. The Trust operates a community-led GTM through direct volunteer recruitment, school sessions, public events, social media, email newsletters, and corporate enrichment days, serving four primary stakeholder groups: general public and communities across the catchment, schools and youth organisations, farmers and landowners, and anglers/angling clubs.

Name

Don Catchment Rivers Trust

Legal name

Don Catchment Rivers Trust

Website

https://dcrt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Don Catchment Rivers Trust is a Doncaster-based registered charity that protects and restores the rivers, habitats, and communities of the Don, Dearne, and Rother catchments across Yorkshire and Derbyshire through grant-funded restoration projects, education, citizen science, and farmer cluster programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

River Conservation and Catchment Management Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Flood Control & Protection Infrastructure (Levees, Floodwalls, Gates, Pump Stations) (EUANAEAI), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• River restoration services
• Natural flood management
• Fish passage engineering
• Catchment conservation programs
• Community environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Doncaster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Project and Programme Funding (Grants): The primary revenue stream is grant funding from public bodies and charitable foundations. Major funders include the National Lottery Heritage Fund (e.g., £987k for All Hands on the Don, £776k for Hidden Heritage Secret Streams, £1.2m for Living Heritage of the River Don), Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Natural England, Garfield Weston Foundation, and others. This covers project delivery costs, staff, and equipment.
2. Donations: The public can make one-time donations via PayPal. Donations are the primary mechanism for individual financial support to the charity.
3. Community Grant Scheme: As part of the All Hands on the Don project, DCRT delivered a Community Grant Scheme to fund local organisations undertaking river-focused projects. This is grant re-distribution rather than direct revenue.
4. Paid Talks and Presentations: Local talks on river-related subjects are provided free within the project area, but a suggested donation of £40 is welcomed for talks outside the All Hands on the Don project area.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Don Catchment Rivers Trust is a registered charity that delivers river restoration, fish passage engineering, natural flood management, and habitat improvement across the Don, Dearne, and Rother catchments. It combines these technical services with free community engagement, school education, citizen-science monitoring, and farmer cluster programmes funded primarily through project grants and donations.

Product overview

Don Catchment Rivers Trust operates as a charitable organization offering a portfolio of river conservation projects and community engagement services rather than a commercial product. The main project offerings include All Hands on the Don (National Lottery Heritage Fund project), Hidden Heritage Secret Streams, and The Living Heritage of the River Don. Supporting services encompass Natural Flood Management, Fishery Services (including Fish Passage Solutions and Habitat Improvement), Working with Farmers & Land Custodians, Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster, River Guardians Educational Program, DCRT Youth Program, Citizen Science initiatives, and the Don Valley Way trail. The Community Grant Scheme provides funding support. Together these programs deliver river restoration, community engagement, education, and conservation across the Don, Dearne, and Rother catchments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• All Hands on the Don A National Lottery Heritage Fund project that connects communities with the natural, historic, and cultural heritage of the River Don between Mexborough and Thorne through volunteering, events, work placements, river access improvements, and habitat improvements.
• Hidden Heritage Secret Streams A four-year National Lottery Heritage Fund project focused on rediscovering the River Rother and its tributaries, involving weir removal, natural flood management, community engagement, and educational activities in the Chesterfield area.
• The Living Heritage of the River Don DCRT's first National Lottery Heritage Fund project, reconnecting people and communities to the River Don's natural, cultural, built, and industrial heritage through fish passage improvements, habitat work, and community engagement.
• Natural Flood Management (NFM) Nature-based solutions that capture and slow the flow of stormwater into the river network to reduce downstream flood risk while delivering benefits for wildlife habitat, water quality, and carbon capture.
• Fishery Services Comprehensive fishery habitat improvement services including fish passage projects, weir removal, habitat enhancement, fish population monitoring, and community engagement for fisheries conservation across the Don Catchment.
• Fish Passage Solutions Installation of various fish pass types including Larinier baffled passes, baulk easements (for listed weirs), and rock ramps to enable migratory fish to bypass man-made barriers and reconnect river habitats.
• Habitat Improvement Services River habitat restoration through installation of large woody debris, gravel management, and in-channel improvements to support fish spawning and nursery habitat.
• Working with Farmers & Land Custodians Engagement programme with farmers and landowners to implement land management practices that improve natural flood management, water quality, and biodiversity at catchment level, including advice visits and access to environmental grants.
• Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster Farmer-led cluster group covering topics such as soil health, water quality, carbon sequestration, regenerative agriculture, biodiversity enhancement, and natural flood management across 6,200 hectares with 38 farmer members.
• River Guardians Educational Program Educational visits and activities for schools teaching young people about rivers, wildlife, and river conservation through hands-on activities such as bug hunting and pond dipping; each learner receives a free River Guardian pack.
• DCRT Youth Program Youth engagement programme offering volunteering, work experience, and event participation opportunities for young people, contributing towards Duke of Edinburgh, Scout badges, John Muir Award, and National Citizen Service.
• Citizen Science Community science initiatives enabling volunteers to survey and monitor river ecology, including Riverfly/ARMI monitoring, salmon recording, and wildlife identification training.
• Don Valley Way Long-distance trail from Doncaster to Sheffield allowing people to walk, cycle, and explore the River Don's heritage with information boards and audio trails.
• Community Grant Scheme Funding programme that helps local organisations undertake projects focusing on the River Don and its tributaries, including river access improvements, habitat creation, pollution tackling, and invasive species control.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6.5 km of river reconnected and 10 km of spawning grounds opened to migratory fish for the first time in 200 years through fish passes at five Sheffield weirs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and key.

• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey operational and funding partner across all major projects, providing regulatory expertise, co-funding, and collaborative delivery on river restoration, fish passage, water quality, and natural flood management. Contributed to Don and Rother Environment Programme.
• GroundworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity charity supporting regeneration and environmental improvement. Listed as a funder/partner contributing to DCRT's project delivery in the catchment.
• City of Doncaster CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for the All Hands on the Don project, providing local government support, alignment with local planning and environmental strategies, and community network access.
• Angling TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for angling in England, partner on the All Hands on the Don project, supporting fishery improvement, angler engagement, and fish population monitoring across the catchment.
• Sheffield City CouncilkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for the Living Heritage of the River Don project (£1.2m), providing co-funding and alignment with Sheffield's environmental and regeneration strategies.
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough CouncilkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for the Living Heritage of the River Don project (£1.2m), providing co-funding, local political support, and community engagement network access.
• Derbyshire County CouncilkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for the Hidden Heritage Secret Streams project (£776k), supporting river restoration and community engagement in the Chesterfield/Derbyshire area of the River Rother catchment.
• Friends of Grassmoor Country ParksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity volunteer group partnering with DCRT on the Hidden Heritage Secret Streams project, supporting NFM delivery at Grassmoor Country Park and community engagement activities.
• Barnsley Metropolitan Borough CouncilkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for the Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster (£30k), supporting farm cluster activities in the Barnsley area of the Dearne catchment.
• Yorkshire Wildlife TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional wildlife conservation charity partnering on the Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster and natural flood management projects, collaborating on biodiversity monitoring and habitat delivery.
• Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife PartnershipkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory partnership providing Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive farm advice visits to cluster members, helping farmers identify options to benefit farmland birds and pollinators.
• Tyers Hall FarmsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farming partner co-running the Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster with DCRT, contributing practical farm knowledge and hosting demonstration events.
• Don, Dearne & Rother NetworkkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder catchment partnership network (wherearnerother.org) that DCRT participates in, coordinating broader catchment management across public, private, and voluntary sectors.
• Great Yorkshire Rivers PartnershipkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ambition to rid Yorkshire's rivers of all significant barriers by 2043, of which DCRT is a member, aligning fish passage restoration efforts across the county.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Westcountry Rivers Trust: One of the larger and more established UK Rivers Trusts. Directly comparable to DCRT in delivering catchment-scale river restoration, farmer cluster work, NFM and education, but operating across multiple South West catchments with a larger staff and grant base.
• Norfolk Rivers Trust: Rivers Trust operating in the Norfolk Broads and surrounding catchments. Comparable in scope (river restoration, fish passage, education) and funding mix (Lottery, EA, water company), but in a contrasting lowland/arable catchment.
• Thames21: London-focused rivers trust delivering river restoration, citizen science, volunteer engagement and education on the tidal Thames and tributaries. Closely comparable operating model to DCRT, particularly around volunteer-led catchment work and corporate partnerships.
• Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust: A fellow UK Rivers Trust operating in the Yorkshire region. Highly comparable to DCRT in mission (catchment restoration, fish passage, community engagement) and funding model (National Lottery, EA, water company grants), but operating in a different Yorkshire catchment.
• Severn Rivers Trust: Rivers Trust covering the River Severn and tributaries in the West Midlands/Welsh borders. Directly comparable to DCRT in fish passage, habitat improvement, farmer cluster and NFM delivery, with a similar grant-funded operating model.
• South East Rivers Trust: Multi-catchment Rivers Trust covering Kent, Sussex and parts of Surrey. Similar operating model to DCRT, including fish passage engineering, NFM, farmer engagement and community education, but at a larger geographic scale.

Others

• The Rivers Trust: The umbrella body of which DCRT is a member. Not a direct operational peer, but the convening organisation representing UK rivers trusts to government and funders — directly relevant to DCRT's positioning, funding access and policy influence.
• WildFish: National salmonid and wild fish conservation charity (formerly Salmon & Trout Conservation UK). Closely aligned with DCRT's fish passage and salmon recovery mission, and personally linked to DCRT's Chair of Trustees (David Rowley is WildFish's executive vice president).

Broad incumbents

• Canal & River Trust: The major UK waterway charity managing 2,000+ miles of canals and many rivers. Comparable in mission (waterway restoration, heritage, volunteering) but operating at a substantially larger national scale with broader amenity focus.
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust: Regional wildlife conservation charity covering Yorkshire including parts of the Don catchment. Comparable in conservation and education focus and a direct project partner (Dearne Valley Farmers Cluster), but with a broader wildlife remit beyond rivers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/doncatchmentrt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@doncatchmentriverstrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/dcrt
• Instagraminstagram.com/dcrt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Don Catchment Rivers Trust