The Wild Trout Trust

What The Wild Trout Trust does

The Wild Trout Trust Ltd is a UK-registered conservation charity (charity no. 1162478, company no. 03345901) and Scottish-registered charity (SCO46354), founded in 1997 by Richard Slocock and Brian Clarke and headquartered at Unit 4 Broadfield Court, Sheffield. Its functional mission is to improve and restore habitat for wild brown trout across the UK and Ireland, framed around the proposition that trout act as indicators of broader freshwater ecosystem health. Core activities consist of (a) free Advisory Visits to landowners, river keepers, fishing clubs, and community groups, producing a public library of 800+ reports; (b) practical "in river" habitat improvement projects — weir removals, floodplain reconnection, woody debris addition, spawning habitat enhancement — delivered through a regional team of seven named Conservation Officers; and (c) the Trout in the Town urban rivers programme and the Mayfly in the Classroom schools programme.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across membership subscriptions (annual and life tiers at £15–£600), one-off and recurring donations including matched Big Give campaigns, an annual Spring Auction and Christmas Raffle, publications (Chalkstream Habitat Manual, Urban Rivers Restoration Guidelines, Wild Trout Survival Guide, annual Salmo Trutta journal), branded merchandise, members-only events, and corporate/trade membership tiers (River Keeper, Fishing Hotel, Trade, Corporate). Go-to-market is community-led and content-driven: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop on wildtrout.org, supplemented by Amazon Marketplace listings for education kits, presence at British Fly Fair International, podcasts, and earned media on BBC Countryfile and Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing. Strategic partnerships span the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water (multi-year TRoUT programme), Angling Trust, WildFish, Fish Legal, Beaver Trust, Atlantic Salmon Trust, and a coalition of regional Rivers Trusts (Severn, Trent, West Wales, Afonydd Cymru, Westcountry, Devon Wildlife Trust).

The Trust operates with a small expert headcount (Director, Marketing & Fundraising Manager, Trust & Data Manager, plus Conservation Officers) and is governed by a board that recently expanded by three trustees. No financial figures, parent company, or institutional ownership were disclosed in the source material; total disclosed 2024–26 fundraising event totals (Spring Auction 2026 £107,830; Big Give 2026 £22,188.50; Christmas Raffle 2024 £10,737; 3-Fly Challenge 2024 £3,000+) provide the only quantitative scale signals.

Name

The Wild Trout Trust

Legal name

The Wild Trout Trust Ltd

Website

https://wildtrout.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Wild Trout Trust is a UK and Ireland conservation charity (founded 1997, Sheffield) that restores wild brown trout habitat through free advisory visits, in-river restoration projects delivered by seven Conservation Officers, and urban rivers and school education programmes, funded via membership tiers, donations, auctions, grants, and partnerships with the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• River habitat restoration
• Wild trout conservation
• Freshwater ecology advisory
• Salmonid population monitoring
• Watershed rehabilitation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual, monthly, and life subscription memberships bringing benefits including the annual journal Salmo Trutta, newsletters, invitations to events, and members-only get-togethers.
2. Donations: One-off and recurring donations from supporters, including Big Give campaigns and specific fundraising appeals.
3. Auctions: Spring Auction and Mini Auction raising significant funds through donated items including fishing experiences, art, and equipment. Spring Auction 2026 raised £107,830.
4. Publications Sales: Sale of educational materials including Wild Trout Survival Guide, Chalkstream Habitat Manual, Urban Rivers Restoration Guidelines, and other guides.
5. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including Chilly's bottles, enamel mugs, fishing caps, car stickers, pin badges, and neck tubes.
6. Events: Members-only events including workshops, talks, and get-togethers, plus events like the 3-Fly Challenge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Wild Trout Trust is a river conservation charity that delivers habitat improvement projects, free advisory visits, and educational resources aimed at protecting wild brown trout and their freshwater habitats across the UK and Ireland. It funds this work through annual memberships, donations, charitable auctions, publication sales, and merchandise.

Product overview

The Wild Trout Trust is a river conservation charity that offers a portfolio of membership programs, publications, merchandise, and educational resources. The core offering consists of various membership tiers (Individual, Joint, Retired, Junior, Club, River Keeper, Fishing Hotel, Trade, and Corporate) which provide access to the annual Salmo Trutta journal, regular newsletters, and members-only events. The Trust's publication line includes practical habitat management manuals (The Chalkstream Habitat Manual CD, The Uplands Habitat Manual CD, Urban Rivers Restoration Guidelines CD), The Wild Trout Survival Guide, Rivers: Working for Wild Trout DVD, and downloadable Habitat Management Sheets. Educational products include Mayfly in the Classroom for schools and the Trout in the Town Urban River Toolkit for community projects. Merchandise includes branded items such as Chilly's Bottles, enamel mugs, car stickers, pin badges, and fishing caps. The Trust also operates a 'New To You: Fishy Stuff' section selling pre-loved items donated by supporters, and accepts one-off donations to support conservation work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wild Trout Trust Membership Tiered membership programme offering Individual (£49/yr), Joint (£70/yr), Retired (£26/yr), Junior under 18 (£15/yr), Life Individual (£600), Life Retired (£350), Small Club £65 / Large Club £95, Full-time River Keeper £29, Fishing Hotel £75, Trade £75, and Corporate (contact for pricing) memberships that provide access to the annual Salmo Trutta journal, newsletters, and members-only events.
• WTT Publications Educational books, manuals, journals and DVDs covering chalkstream, uplands and urban river habitat management, plus the annual Salmo Trutta journal for members, sold to conservationists, anglers, and landowners seeking practical river management guidance.
• WTT Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including Chilly's bottles (£21), enamel mugs (£9.50), fishing caps (£17), car stickers (£2.15), and enamel pin badges (£3.95), sold through the online shop to supporters and anglers to raise funds for conservation.
• New To You: Fishy Stuff Resale storefront selling donated pre-loved fishing tackle, flies, books and art with UK delivery included, raising funds for wild trout conservation.
• WTT Members-Only Events Programme of members-only events including workshops, talks, and Conservation Awards, booked via Eventbrite after emailing [email protected], providing members with conservation training and networking opportunities.
• Trout in the Town Urban River Toolkit Toolkit supporting urban river restoration and community engagement for groups participating in the WTT Trout in the Town initiative, also available via Amazon.
• Mayfly in the Classroom Creative Science Kit Educational science kit for schools and educators teaching children about river ecosystems and the mayfly lifecycle, also available via Amazon.
• Not Really Fishing Small illustrated publication priced at £5.99 celebrating the non-fishing aspects of riverside experiences for supporters and gift purchasers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 Advisory Visit reports completed and made publicly available
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on floodplain reconnection and river restoration projects. The Environment Agency undertook archaeological research, botanical surveys, and groundwork investigations on the River Witham Manthorpe project, with WTT refining scope and overseeing delivery.
• Yorkshire WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYorkshire Water Biodiversity Enhancement Programme has funded multiple WTT projects including the TRoUT (Tackling Resilience On Under-performing Tributaries) five-year programme across Aire, Nidd and Wharfe catchments.
• Severn Rivers TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Ed Noyes' PhD funding (Bournemouth University and Severn Rivers Trust) studying salmonid population ecology.
• Beaver TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTT working with Beaver Trust, Atlantic Salmon Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust and Westcountry Rivers Trust to develop resources on potential interactions between beavers and salmonids and assessment tools for beaver dam impacts on fish migration.
• Atlantic Salmon TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on understanding and addressing interactions between beavers and salmonid populations.
• Devon Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on beaver and salmonid interaction research and resource development.
• Westcountry Rivers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on beaver and salmonid interaction research.
• Chalk Streams FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of NGOs led by WTT founder Charles Rangeley-Wilson, proposing to give chalk streams first use of water in aquifers rather than current abstraction model in headwaters.
• River Restoration CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTT participates in RRC Annual Conference and shares expertise on river restoration practice.
• Riverfly PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on river health monitoring and invertebrate surveying, with shared presence at events like British Fly Fair International.
• Afonydd CymrucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for Rivers Trusts in Wales, collaborating on Welsh river stories and conservation efforts including the River Teifi.
• West Wales Rivers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Welsh river conservation including Adopt A Tributary scheme, People's Plan for the Teifi, and Phosphate Reduction and Mitigation (PRAM) Project.
• SemperfliminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK leading supplier of fly-tying materials joined as Trade Member. WTT represented at Semperfli pop-up roadshows.
• Angling TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on advocacy, campaigns including March for Clean Water, and joint conservation efforts for rivers and wild fish.
• WildFishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on campaigns for legally-binding river health targets and protection of wild fish populations.
• Chalkstream Headwaters ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership forum including Vitacress for chalk stream conservation and recognition of restoration projects.
• Dam Removal EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTT Conservation Officer Tim Jacklin speaks at Dam Removal Europe conferences on weir removal projects.
• Trent Rivers TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Atlantic salmon return to Derbyshire's Bottle Brook following conservation work.
• Fish LegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on legal action and campaigns for river health including #EveryRiverCounts petition for legally-binding river health targets.
• Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership SchememinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTT is a proud partner in this landscape partnership scheme focused on watercress beds and winterbourne rivers.
• Clyde River FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint representation at events with United Clyde Angling Protective Association and WildFish.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Angling Trust: UK governing body for angling representing anglers, fisheries, and clubs. WTT's corporate Fishing Club and Trade memberships overlap significantly with Angling Trust membership, and the two collaborate on advocacy campaigns such as March for Clean Water.
• Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust: UK charity focused on invertebrate conservation, including freshwater invertebrates central to trout diet and river health. Adjacent mission with overlapping river health monitoring and Riverfly Partnership collaboration with WTT.

Direct peers

• Freshwater Habitats Trust: UK charity focused on protecting freshwater habitats including ponds, lakes, and rivers. Directly comparable to WTT's freshwater conservation mission, with broader species scope but overlapping landowner advisory and habitat restoration activities.
• Atlantic Salmon Trust: Scotland-based charity dedicated to wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout conservation. WTT collaborates with AST on beaver-salmonid interaction research, and both share overlapping donor and project networks across UK rivers.
• Westcountry Rivers Trust: Regional Rivers Trust delivering habitat improvement, advisory visits, and community engagement across south-west England. Functions as both a regional peer and an active WTT partner on the beaver-salmonid research programme.
• WildFish (formerly Salmon & Trout Association UK): UK charity directly focused on wild fish conservation and river protection, campaigning for stronger water quality and fisheries regulation. Closest mission-aligned peer to WTT and an explicit partner in the #EveryRiverCounts coalition.

Regional players

• Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust: Regional Rivers Trust delivering river restoration and advisory services across Yorkshire. Comparable operating model and catchment focus, and active partner alongside WTT on Yorkshire Water-funded restoration projects.
• Severn Rivers Trust: Regional Rivers Trust covering the River Severn catchment. Directly comparable through delivery of habitat projects and advisory visits, and an active WTT partner through co-funding of Conservation Officer Ed Noyes's PhD research.

Broad incumbents

• The Wildlife Trusts: UK-wide federation of 46 local Wildlife Trusts and a major force in habitat conservation including freshwater work. Operates at much greater scale than WTT with overlapping donor base and partnership footprint.
• The Rivers Trust: Umbrella body for the network of regional Rivers Trusts across the UK. WTT participates in the Rivers Trust movement as a specialist partner and delivers projects alongside regional trusts, making this a broader incumbent in the same freshwater conservation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WildTroutTrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WildTroutTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/wildtrouttrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildtrouttrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-wild-trout-trust-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 The Wild Trout Trust