Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust

What Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust does

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust (YDRT) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1107918) founded in 2004 and headquartered in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, operating as the designated catchment partnership organisation for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape. The Trust works across approximately 4,854 km² covering five major river systems — Swale, Ure, Nidd, Ouse and Wharfe — totalling 6,690 km of river, delivering projects in Natural Flood Management, fish passage improvement, metal mine pollution remediation, invasive non-native species control, and environmental education. Its catchment-scale portfolio includes named programmes such as Ousewem, YAARN, iNidd, INNS Out, and Solutions for the SUNOW, delivered alongside landowners including Hauxwell Estate, plus schools (27 institutions reached via Rivers2U) and farming communities.

YDRT's technical stack centres on drone-based digital imaging for baseline surveys, NFM monitoring, mine remediation planning, and fish barrier assessment, combined with orthomosaic and multi-spectral mapping. Catchment prioritisation across 161 waterbodies is performed using mapping software developed and shared by the parent federation, The Rivers Trust. Operational leadership holds chartered technical credentials (Chartered Civil Engineer, Chartered Environmentalist), and the team has grown materially in 2026 with new hires in catchment partnerships, fish passage, farming advisory, and assistant project officer roles, alongside a new trustee specialising in impact investment.

The Trust's revenue model is a hybrid of restricted grant funding, unrestricted donations, and a small priced service. Major grant and partnership income comes from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (Rivers4Life), Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency, and the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership. Public donations are channelled via CAF Donate, and the only priced B2B offering is corporate volunteering days at £750 full day / £500 half day, packaged with transport through Mountain Goat Private Hire Minibuses. Engagement is delivered through a community-led model combining direct project delivery, volunteer programmes, school workshops, the Rivers4Life exhibition and community theatre, open days, and active social media across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Name

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust

Legal name

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust

Website

https://ydrt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust is a UK charity that restores and protects rivers across five catchments in the Yorkshire Dales, delivering natural flood management, fish passage, pollution remediation, and education programmes funded by grants, donations, and corporate volunteering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

River Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• River conservation services
• Catchment management
• Natural flood management
• Environmental education programmes
• Habitat restoration projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Pateley Bridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: The Trust accepts public donations via its website (CAF Donate platform). Donate CTA is prominently featured. Individual donations support general operations and specific projects.
2. Corporate Volunteering Fees: Bespoke corporate volunteering days charged at £750 per full day and £500 per half day. Includes transport collaboration with Mountain Goat Private Hire Minibuses. Provides tools, equipment, staff support, risk assessment and insurance.
3. Government and Lottery Grants: Major project funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund (Rivers4Life three-year project), Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership (Yorkshire Water, Environment Agency), and other statutory funders for catchment management and remediation work.
4. Project Partnership Funding: Funded by Yorkshire Water and other partners for specific initiatives including YAARN (Yorkshire Agricultural Advice Rivers Network), Roots Returns Farmer Group activities, and river restoration projects. Includes farmer support and advisory services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust (YDRT) is a registered charity that restores, protects and manages river catchments across approximately 4,854 km² of the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale, covering 6,690 km of rivers across five major systems (Swale, Ure, Nidd, Ouse, Wharfe). It delivers practical conservation projects including Natural Flood Management, fish passage barrier removal, metal mine pollution remediation, and invasive non-native species control, alongside school education programmes (Rivers2U), community arts/heritage engagement (Rivers4Life), volunteer opportunities, and free farm advisory services (YAARN). The Trust coordinates the Dales to Vale Rivers Network catchment partnership and is funded primarily by grants, donations, and corporate volunteering fees.

Product overview

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust operates as a single unified charitable organization offering multiple interconnected conservation and education services. The core offering centers on river restoration and catchment management through projects including Natural Flood Management (NFM), fish passage improvement, metal mine pollution remediation, and invasive non-native species (INNS) control. Education services include the Rivers2U programme, Rivers4Life arts and heritage project, and downloadable school resources (primary, secondary, and A-Level). Volunteer engagement programmes provide both individual and corporate volunteering opportunities. The organization also coordinates the Dales to Vale Rivers Network (DVRN) catchment partnership and employs drone technology for survey and monitoring work. The portfolio integrates practical on-the-ground conservation with community engagement, education, and partnership working across five major river systems: Swale, Ure, Nidd, Ouse, and Wharfe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rivers4Life
• Natural Flood Management (NFM)
• Rivers2U Education Programme
• INNS Control Programme
• Metal Mine Pollution Remediation
• Fish Passage Improvement
• Riverfly Monitoring
• Corporate Volunteering
• Individual Volunteering
• Yorkshire Agricultural Advice Rivers Network (YAARN)
• Dales to Vale Rivers Network (DVRN)
• Drone Technology Survey Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,271 trees planted (2025-2026)
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Rivers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYDRT is a member of The Rivers Trust federation — the national charity for river conservation. The Rivers Trust provides the Catchment Partnership framework, river restoration best practices, the mapping software used for prioritisation, the sewage monitoring map, NFM Hub resources, and coordinates national campaigns such as Clean Water Now and the Water Reform Bill advocacy.
• Great Yorkshire Rivers PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaboration of Yorkshire Water, The Rivers Trust, Environment Agency, and other partners aimed at addressing artificial barriers negatively impacting fish populations in Yorkshire. YDRT's Kate Colledge is employed as a Project Manager funded by this partnership to lead prioritisation and removal of barriers to fish passage across the YDRT region.
• Historic EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric England was present on site at a YDRT metal mine remediation project (soil sampling at disused mine site) mapping archaeological features. Any future remediation work must balance environmental harm reduction with protecting significant industrial heritage.
• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency partner in Great Yorkshire Rivers and other river restoration initiatives. Responsible for mine pollution regulation, flood risk management, and water quality monitoring. Co-funder of the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership.
• Mountain Goat Private Hire MinibusesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew collaboration offering transport for YDRT corporate volunteers. Package includes transport from business premises, experienced local drivers with Yorkshire Dales insights, and optional pub/business stops. Supports local economy whilst enhancing corporate volunteer experiences.
• Ousewem (Hauxwell Estate Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOusewem is an ambitious partnership with Hauxwell Estate near Leyburn delivering natural flood management. The 28-month project delivered 52 bunded scrapes, small storage areas, and 380m of new meandering channel. Showcased at Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice winter webinar.
• Yorkshire Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYorkshire Wildlife Trust is a neighbouring wildlife conservation organisation. YDRT's Catchment Partnerships Manager Vanessa Barlow joined from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, bringing experience from managing the Yorkshire Crayfish Forum.
• Dales Countryside MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the Rivers4Life exhibition (6 June–27 September 2026) at Hawes. Also venue for community theatre production Tributaries (27–28 June 2026) in partnership with Fell-Foss Theatre.
• Ripon Workhouse MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional venue for Tributaries community theatre production (4 July 2026) in partnership with Fell-Foss Theatre, aligned with Ripon Theatre Festival.
• Fell-Foss TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre company leading the Tributaries community play production as part of the Rivers4Life project. Created with local people from Ripon and Wensleydale, with live folk score by The Brothers Gillespie.
• Lower Ure Conservation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation trust working on the Lower River Ure. YDRT holds team days at the Nosterfield Reserve and collaborates on conservation initiatives in the Ure catchment.
• Yorkshire Invasive Species ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of organisations using INNS Mapper data gathered by YDRT and others to target INNS monitoring and removal across the region.
• Non-Native Species SecretariatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body providing free online learning modules on biosecurity and INNS identification. YDRT signposts to this training on its website and social media.
• Nidd Action GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity group focused on the health of the River Nidd. Holds annual public meetings with stakeholders including Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, and North Yorkshire Council. YDRT staff support and participate.
• Groundswell FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual regenerative agriculture event (hosted by farmers, for farmers) with over 10,000 attendees. YDRT staff attended over 30 sessions and gave a talk on NFM funding. Venue for partnership development with funders and technology providers.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Thames21: London-based rivers trust delivering river restoration, volunteering, and education across the Thames catchment. Operates a similar model — community engagement, corporate volunteering days, and grant-funded restoration projects — making it a directly comparable peer in a different region.
• Westcountry Rivers Trust: A long-established regional Rivers Trust in south-west England covering multiple catchments with comparable services (NFM, farm advice, education, corporate volunteering). Closest structural analogue to YDRT in catchment mandate, funding model, and project portfolio.
• Severn Rivers Trust: Trust delivering river and catchment restoration across the Severn catchment in the West Midlands and Wales. Same federation, comparable catchment-partnership mandate, farm advisory services (like YAARN), and NFM programmes as YDRT.
• The Rivers Trust: National federation of UK river conservation charities of which YDRT is a member. The Rivers Trust provides shared catchment-partnership frameworks, mapping software, and policy advocacy (Water Reform Bill, Clean Water Now) used by YDRT — directly comparable as the umbrella for the same river-restoration mission.
• Groundwork UK: Federation of environmental charities delivering community-based environmental regeneration, volunteering, and corporate engagement programmes across the UK. Closely comparable operating model to YDRT, particularly on corporate volunteering and community engagement.
• Salmon & Trout Conservation: National UK charity campaigning for wild fish protection, water quality, and habitat restoration. Overlaps with YDRT's fish-passage and water-quality focus under Great Yorkshire Rivers.
• Wild Trout Trust: UK charity focused on wild trout habitat conservation, providing practical river restoration advice, habitat improvement projects, and trout-in-the-town community programmes. Directly comparable on river-habitat and fish-passage dimensions of YDRT's work.

Regional players

• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust: Neighbouring Yorkshire conservation charity covering wildlife sites and species across the same region. Shares geography and overlapping staff (e.g., Vanessa Barlow moved from YWT to YDRT); operates similar reserves and education programmes but with broader wildlife focus.

Others

• River Restoration Centre: UK national advisory body supporting river and catchment restoration practitioners with training, best-practice manuals, and project resources. A peer ecosystem player serving the same community of practitioners as YDRT.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: Major UK conservation charity with significant overlap in land stewardship, natural flood management, and outdoor education in the Yorkshire Dales region. Operates as a broader incumbent covering many environmental and heritage activities beyond YDRT's river-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@YorkDalesRT/shorts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ydrt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust