The Team
Our Staff Team
Rachel Walker
Chief Executive Officer
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Rachel has been the Trust’s CEO since October 2024. She joined the Trust in February 2016, becoming DCRTs first Community Engagement Officer working on the ‘Living Heritage of the River Don’ project. After a promotion to Project Manager, Rachel then worked on the ‘Hidden Heritage Secret Streams’ project. One of her first duties at the Trust was to set up the volunteering programme, and it has been a particular career highlight that this has become a well-respected, valued core of the Trusts work.
From 2021 Rachel was the Trust’s Operations Director, ensuring the smooth running of the Trust, overseeing the delivery of projects, and, having studied for the NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, managing the Trust’s health and safety compliance.
Rachel has a MA in Archaeological Heritage Management from the University of York, having previously studied for a BA in Archaeology. From university Rachel started a career in museums, having worked for the Yorkshire Waterways Museum and Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust. She then worked on the Pocklington Canal as a project development officer for Canal & River Trust. Her role at DCRT now merges her love of all things heritage: built, natural, industrial and waterways!
When not in the office or out on site, Rachel works from her narrowboat. Ethel Rosina has been a long-term hobby for Rachel – restoring her and motoring along the Aire and Calder Navigation. When not flexing her DIY skills fixing boats, Rachel is an avid crafter – most recently learning traditional upholstery.
Sally Hyslop
Community Engagement Officer
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Sally is the Community Engagement Officer for the Trust’s National Lottery Heritage Fund project All Hands on the Don, where she works with community groups, residents and local schools, to develop and deliver education and participation activities.
Sally started working for DCRT in 2016 on the Living Heritage of the River Don project, first as Project Assistant and later as Community Engagement Officer. This led to Sally working as the Community Engagement Officer throughout the Trust’s Hidden Heritage Secret Streams project in Chesterfield. Both projects have been incredible opportunities, working alongside volunteers to improve our rivers, surveying wildlife with citizen scientists, teaching school sessions, and organising riverside events for families to learn about nature together.
Sally is also the Angler’s Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) coordinator for the Trust. Before working at DCRT Sally was an Identification Trainer for the Future at the Natural History Museum, where she trained in the identification of UK nature and gained experience in collections management, informal education, and engagement in natural history. Before this, she worked for the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, on placement with The Conservation Volunteers, helping to run wildlife gardening sessions for schools. Sally has also worked as an ecological surveyor.
Having been fascinated by Natural History her whole life, Sally started volunteering in the sector whilst at secondary school, helping on bat surveys and at a wildlife park. This led to studying at the University of Sheffield where she was awarded a Masters degree in Zoology.
Sally enjoy reading about wildlife and drawing the natural world. In free time, she likes to go wild-swimming, coarse fishing, walking in the peak district and visiting museums.
Sue Goodship
Administration Officer
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Sue is the Trust’s Administration Officer where she provides invaluable support to everyone in their work.
Sue joined the Trust in 2016 as Administration Officer for the Living Heritage of the River Don project and subsequently the Hidden Heritage, Secret Streams project and is looking forward to exploring and finding out more about the history of the All Hands on the Don project area, and the wildlife living there.
Sue’s background is in Admin and Finance, with a splash of Human Resources and she has worked across a diverse range of industries including power generation, manufacturing, local policing and also in the voluntary sector for a local disability charity.
Sue has always had a fascination for wildlife and local history and her hobbies include baking, pottering around her garden and pond and visiting the great British seaside as often as possible.
Matt Duffy
Fishery Habitat Officer
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Matt started his current role as Fishery Habitat Officer in October 2021 after being with the trust since 2017, initially joining in a community engagement role. His role involves looking at how fish passage can be improved within the catchment, taking on fish passage projects – be it technical fish pass or weir removal, as well as ensuring maintenance of our fish passes and that of other stakeholders. This includes looking at where in the catchment habitat improvements can be made to help fish populations thrive, by installing large woody debris. Monitoring is an important aspect of fishery work and Matt will soon be embarking on electrofishing surveys to search the catchment for salmon fry/parr, helping to establish how successful fish passage schemes have been and whether the habitat requirements are adequate. Matt also runs community engagement activities, allowing people to volunteer and learn more about the Don’s fishery.
In previous roles Matt enjoyed going out regularly with volunteer groups which he helped establish in Chesterfield as part of the Hidden Heritage Secret Streams project, and loved working in the beautiful Moss Valley on Natural Flood Management and habitat improvements. A particular proud point for Matt is the delivering of Mayfly in the Classroom sessions to primary schools in Rotherham and Doncaster.
After leaving the University of Leeds with a bachelor of science, Matt started his career on placement at the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust within their reserves team. After which he worked at the River Stewardship Company for five years delivering flood risk, habitat improvement and community engagement activities. During this time he obtained chainsaw, chipper, digger, brush cutter, pesticides, mobile elevated working platform (MEWP), working in water safely, first aid and electrofishing qualifications. Matt is currently studying a 2-year diploma in Fishery Management through the Institute for Fishery Management (IFM).
Matt has played guitar since a young age and plays gigs in a number of Sheffield-based bands, whilst also going to see other bands perform. A keen grower of fruit and vegetables at his allotment, Matt uses his produce to try out new recipes. He also loves walking and cycling with friends in the Peak District, whilst also going camping and wild swimming.
Anthony Cox
Volunteering Officer
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Anthony is the Volunteering Officer for the Trust’s National Lottery Heritage Fund project All Hands on the Don, where he supports volunteers to help make improvements to our rivers and to get involved with the project. He also works closely with Charlotte to ensure that volunteers have a great experience working with the trust and allow them to get what they want out of volunteering with us.
He was previously Project Volunteer Coordinator for the National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Hidden Heritage Secret Streams based around Chesterfield. He also worked on the Trust’s DEFRA funded, Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
Anthony started at the trust in October 2017 as an Environmental Conservation Apprentice on the Living Heriatge of the River Don project and then became a Higher-Level Environmental Conservation Apprentice in January 2019. Subsequently, Anthony was promoted to Project Assistant for National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Hidden Heritage Secret Streams, in September 2020. All of these roles involved running volunteer days and improving the environment around the rivers in our catchment. This involved helping with community engagement and working in schools to help educate young people on how amazing our rivers are. A stand out achievement for Anthony is leading on the creation of an informative leaflet guide to the Don Valley Way, which Anthony personally thinks is really great.
Anthony is licensed to use chainsaws, brush cutters and pesticides, so is often managing habitats and helping to tackle invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam. He is also a first aider and qualified to use a defibrillator.
In his spare time Anthony is the lead percussionist in the Armthorpe Elmfield band and is a highly qualified sailor, with a seamanship level qualification. He owns a ‘mirror’ boat and enjoys music, walking in the countryside and video games.
Debbie Coldwell
NFM Officer
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Debbie joined the Trust in April 2019 as Natural Flood Management (NFM) Officer for the Upper Rother Catchment. Her role involves the development and delivery of schemes that capture and slow the flow of rainfall, runoff and rivers within the catchment with the aim of reducing flood risk. Debbie works with a variety of stakeholders and landowners from both the public and private sectors including councils, farmers and private woodland owners, to support them in implementing NFM interventions. Projects that Debbie has worked on include Slow the Flow to the Calow at Grassmoor Country Park, National Highways Little Don (NFM) Pilot, Green Recovery Challenge Fund NFM, Newfield Spring Woods, Holmebrook Valley Park, Upper Rother NFM Opportunity Mapping (stage 1 and stage 2).
Encouraging local community input and involvement is also key to Debbie’s role and includes working with community groups and running regular volunteer days installing, maintaining and monitoring NFM features such as leaky dams, wildflower meadows, and trees/hedgerows.
Before joining the Trust, Debbie’s work largely focussed on ecosystem service delivery and evaluation. Having completed a Masters degree in Ecology and Environmental Management at York University, Debbie then worked as a coordinator for a landscape-scale moorland restoration project in north Wales and for the York Environmental Sustainability Institute before moving to Sheffield to complete a doctorate in collaboration with the Dark Peak Nature Improvement Area. Debbie then worked as a natural capital consultant with Natural Capital Solutions before joining the Trust to focus on her passion for natural flood management and nature recovery.
Erika Phoenix
Catchment Partnership Officer
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Erika joined Don Catchment Rivers Trust as a Catchment Partnership Officer in November 2021. She has always been passionate about the environment, and following college, she completed a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management at Sheffield Hallam University.
After leaving university Erika began a career in the private sector, working with landowners and regulatory bodies on largescale developments and land restoration projects. This included working on a project to deliver habitat improvements through a programme of works such as vegetation management and the re-wetting of drained blanket bog. During this period Erika also completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Surveying.
Following this, Erika has worked in a variety of roles in the charity and public sector, including working in environmental management and protection, and helping businesses to improve their environmental performance. More recently Erika has worked in the flood risk management sector engaging with a range of stakeholders in relation to flood risk maintenance activities, and communicating the work being undertaken to help reduce flood risk.
Erika loves everything to do with the natural environment and being outdoors, and she likes to inspire people about the environment at a local level. In her spare time Erika can be found walking on the beautiful Humberhead Peatlands, and she enjoys running and cycling to help her keep fit. She is also a keen photographer, and loves to explore the countryside and capture landscapes.
Alex Liversidge
Trust Development Manager
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Alex is the Trust Development Manager and supports the Chief Executive Officer, with a focus on income generation and stakeholder engagement, as well as researching potential opportunities for the Trust.
Alex also supports the All Hands on the Don project, which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Alex joined the trust in June 2022 to assist with the development of All Hands on the Don, helping to build connections to local communities and groups. He subsequently became the Project Officer for All Hands on the Don, working with the team to deliver engagement activities and habitat works.
Alex has a background in Local Government where he has worked with partner organisations and residents. He also volunteered with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and other charities for many years on a variety of projects including habitat management and surveying.
He has a passion for the natural world and has a Level 2 Diploma in Countryside and Environmental Studies through the College of Animal Welfare.
A Doncaster local, Alex is very passionate about the River Don catchment and the benefits that it can bring to local communities. A new parent, he loves spending time with his family and when possible enjoys the outdoors and keeping fit.
Charlotte Landry-Jennings
Volunteering Officer
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Charlotte joined the Trust in November 2023 as Volunteering Officer. This is a new role funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, aiming to support community volunteering around the Don Catchment. She will aid in various projects including river clean ups, the ‘River Guardians’ education program, citizen science and natural flood management.
Charlotte has had experience volunteering with other Rivers Trusts all over the country which has greatly contributed to her love for all things rivers. She graduated from Durham University with a BSc Geography degree.
Previous to this role, Charlotte worked in environmental consultancy, building hydraulic models to provide solutions for UK water companies.
In her free time, she plays the flute in Steel City Concert Band, enjoys walks in the Peak District and loves a musical at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre.
Rebecca Ford
Project Assistant
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Rebecca joined the Trust in November 2023 as Project Assistant for All Hands on the Don. This is the National Lottery Heritage Fund project for increasing local wellbeing, community action, employability and skills, and connection with local heritage, all by taking care of the River Don.
She will aid the project in many ways, including practical volunteer days, citizen science, outreach events, media and publicity.
Based in Sheffield, Rebecca has previously volunteered for several of her local environmental organisations such as the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, the South Yorkshire Bat Group, and DCRT! She has also worked as an assistant ecologist for an environmental consultancy in Sheffield, and as a communications assistant for a local climate alliance.
In her free time, Rebecca enjoys cooking and baking with friends, crocheting, ecological ID, and reading.
Rebecca Ford
Project Assistant
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Rebecca joined the Trust in November 2023 as Project Assistant for All Hands on the Don. This is the National Lottery Heritage Fund project for increasing local wellbeing, community action, employability and skills, and connection with local heritage, all by taking care of the River Don.
She will aid the project in many ways, including practical volunteer days, citizen science, outreach events, media and publicity.
Based in Sheffield, Rebecca has previously volunteered for several of her local environmental organisations such as the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, the South Yorkshire Bat Group, and DCRT! She has also worked as an assistant ecologist for an environmental consultancy in Sheffield, and as a communications assistant for a local climate alliance.
In her free time, Rebecca enjoys cooking and baking with friends, crocheting, ecological ID, and reading.
Ben Curl
Project Assistant
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In March 2024 Ben joined the team as a Project Apprentice to help assist on the National Lottery Heritage Fund project All Hands on the Don.
Ben is the newest addition to our team at the Trust and he is eager to learn more about the Trust’s involvement with the local community, wildlife and future for the Doncaster area.
Prior to joining, Ben studied Work-Based Environmental Conservation at The Sheffield College, which taught him the skills and knowledge that made him a perfect fit for our team. Whilst working at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Ben helped improve visitor engagement by getting visitors of all backgrounds into the art, history and wildlife of the park.
As part of his role at DCRT, he will be using mixed formats to engage the public, with the aim of developing new opportunities for people, to interact and learn about the river’s heritage, work alongside volunteers and help engage and coordinate events and activities.
In 2025 Ben was made Project Assistant having achieved a distinction in his apprenticeship.
Kate Fox
Agricultural Officer
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Kate joined the trust in 2026 as our Agricultural Officer. In this role, she works with farmers to identify and implement land management approaches which improve natural flood management and water quality at a catchment level – while also enhancing biodiversity and farm resilience.
Kate previously worked as an academic, analysing the sustainability of fresh produce supply chains. Through this work she developed a keen awareness of the negative effects of the changing climate on farming, and the challenges of affecting real positive change at the political, major retail and importer level. She prefers to work with farmers who have the ability to make radical real-world impacts on the ground.
Kate has a keen interest in ecology, with a particular passion for both birds and botany. Kate is championing the use of novel technology such as thermal drones and AI bird detectors, to help monitor and protect Red list farmland bird species in the catchment, particularly Curlew, Tree Sparrows, Grey Partridge and Swifts.
Outside of work, Kate lives on her husband’s dairy and potato farm. Here she grows cut flowers commercially for florists and bouquets. She has recently started the South Yorkshire Flower hub; a cooperative to allow small scale flower growers to sell in volume to florists. Kate is also a bird ringer and helps check Tawny and Barn Owl nest boxes in South Yorkshire and North Notts.
Our Trustees
David Rowley
Chair Of Trustees
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David became involved in the Rivers Trust movement through his passion for fly fishing. It was through fishing that he first became interested in fly tying and invertebrates. He fairly quickly realised that without protected rivers there may not be a future for invertebrates, fish or fishing.
He attended one of the early meetings of the group who were trying to form a rivers trust for the Don catchment and stayed. He was one of the three founding trustees of DCRT.
After working in the banking and IT industry when he retired he devotes time to DCRT, fly fishing and invertebrate monitoring. He is a keen watercolour painter and dog walker. David is the chairman of the South Yorkshire branch of Salmon & Trout Association and an executive vice president of WildFish, the new name for the S&TA national.
Chris Firth MBE
Trustee
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On his retirement in 2004 Chris helped form the Don Catchment Rivers Trust and became a Director and Trustee when the Trust received its charitable status in 2010. His experience and knowledge means that he can provide invaluable contributions to many aspects of the Trust’s work, personal highlights of this have been the Living Heritage of the River Don and Hidden Heritage Secret Streams.
Chris was born in Doncaster close to the banks of the River Don and early in life developed a passionate interest in the river. Although he began his working career in engineering, in 1975 he took up a post as a Fisheries Bailiff working in the West Cumbria area of the Lake District. In 1977 he moved to Beverley where he began work with the Yorkshire Water Authority as a Fisheries Inspector. Here his responsibilities included all aspects of fishery management including the management of the licenced salmon net fishery along the Yorkshire coast.
In 1983 he was promoted to Fisheries Officer based at Doncaster and began work on the rehabilitation of the River Don and its fishery. This included one of the first ever re-meandering schemes of an industrial river (the River Dearne) and the hugely innovative Crimpsall Rock Ramp fish pass on the River Don. In 1999, following dramatic improvements in the environment and ecology of the Don system, the Environment Agency published his book ‘Doomsday to the Dawn of the New Millennium’ an account of the demise and recovery of the fish populations of the river. In 2000 he was awarded an MBE for services to the Environment and Community.
Chris is a lifelong fitness fanatic and played for the Doncaster’s premier rugby league side ‘The Dons’ and was an active member of Doncaster Athletics Club. An avid angler, he can be found on the riverbank or spending time with family.
Peter Worrall
Trustee
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As a consultant hydro-ecologist and Director of Penny Anderson Associates Ltd (Consultant Ecologists) Peter has worked with rivers and wetlands in many parts of the UK as well as other countries including Portugal, Italy and Saudi Arabia. He was involved in the diversion of the Twin Rivers around Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5, and the ecological enhancement of the River Bollin as it passes beneath Manchester Airport’s second runway. In recent years he produced The Mersey Life Portfolio for the Environment Agency which is a compilation of schemes for ecological improvements to the River Mersey and its catchment.
Educated at Sheffield and Manchester Universities, Peter has always had an interest in the River Don. In the 1980’s, as a documentary radio programme maker for the BBC he produced a series about fishing in which one episode dealt with the early attempts at restoring a game fishery to the Upper Don; later he spent much time volunteering in the restoration of Wortley Top Forge, following another of his interests in industrial archaeology.
Wherever there is water there is wildlife and Peter has become an expert ornithologist with a particular specialism in the behavioural ecology of wetland birds. This passion has led Peter to be involved in the creation of ponds, lakes, marshes and reedbeds in both rural and urban areas. Peter believes that by restoring our rivers, together with their associated floodplains and catchments an opportunity exists to establish approaches to natural flood management which would have multiple benefits for people, wildlife and flood risk.
Now partially retired Peter hopes to be able to use some of his time to support the work of the Trust.
William Brown
Trustee
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William Brown is a life long fly fisher with many years involvement with the River Don. Through his work with Salmon and Trout Conservation UK (he is secretary of the South Yorkshire branch) he has participated alongside many other volunteers in helping to improve fishing and habitats on the upper Don.
Professionally, Will teaches and researches on politics and international relations for the School of Social Sciences and Global Studies at The Open University, including working on the OU’s international environmental politics curriculum.
Carys Hutton
Trustee
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Carys has been an admirer of DCRT and its work for many years, and joined DCRT as a trustee in 2018.
Carys studied Ecology as an undergraduate, and later went on to complete a PGCert in Water Environment Consultancy. Carys is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and has 10 years’ experience working in the conservation and ecology sector.
Carys started her career dabbling in fieldwork at Lancaster University which included the unusual tasks of rearing ladybirds and lacewings, searching for caterpillars on limestone cliffs, sifting soil, and growing broad beans. Carys then moved to South Yorkshire to begin a career at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT). Here, she helped lead outdoor education sessions for school groups before moving into the projects team where she worked on a range of conservation projects, primarily for water voles, rivers, wetlands, and limestone grassland.
After six years at YWT, Carys took a side step into ecological consultancy and joined a company specialising in managing flood risk and restoring rivers and floodplains. Carys currently works as a senior ecologist at the consultancy and coordinates their Catchment and River Restoration Team. Carys has expertise in River Habitat Survey, Natural Flood Management, river and catchment restoration, and protected species surveying (including white-clawed crayfish, water vole, and otter). She is also responsible for project management and leads a small team of ecologists.
Besides her work, Carys loves being in the outdoors and is at her happiest when walking in the countryside, running the trails, or poking about in rivers.
Simon Firth
Trustee
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Simon is our newest Trustee having joined in February 2023. Simon’s role will be to work with the other trustees to develop and review the strategic direction of the Trust and to help make operational decisions which support the achievement of Trust’s objectives. Simon will draw on his regulatory experience to help ensure effective partnership working with other bodies, particularly the Environment Agency.
Having spent 26 years working for the Environment Agency in a variety of positions, the last ten years as an Area Environment Manager working across Yorkshire and the North East. Simon brings his experience in leading multi-disciplinary departments involved in the full range of regulatory activities – permitting, monitoring, compliance and enforcement. Additionally, much of Simon’s career with the Environment Agency was spent looking after the Don catchment for which he has a special attachment, having witnessed incredible improvements in water quality, ecology, habitat and other factors since the early 1990’s.
Simon is a keen sportsman and spent many years playing rugby league although his involvement these days is restricted to spectating. He is a long-standing season ticket holder at Doncaster Rovers, a burden shared with his wife and Dad. Simon loves to read, cook and to travel, taking regular trips abroad, always taking an interest in whatever river flows through the area he is in. Simon is also particularly interested in health and wellbeing and can often be found on a yoga mat, practicing breathing techniques, meditating and going for very long walks!