Three new appointments strengthen Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership

Great Yorkshire Rivers (GYR) has made three full-time appointments to help the organisation in the delivery of its mission to remove barriers to fish passage, recover native fish species and improve river quality.

Rosslyn Colderley joins as partnership manager, and will oversee partnership strategy, governance and assurance, programme planning, and business case development, as well as tracking the environmental benefits of Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership activity. 

As the recent CEO of River Holme Connections, and with over 30 years’ experience in leadership roles in environmental and charitable sectors at Sustrans, the Wildlife Trust, the Canal and River Trust, and The Conservation Volunteers, Rosslyn is a dedicated advocate of environmental change and improvement through partnership working and community collaboration.

Rosslyn Colderly, Partnership Manager, Great Yorkshire Rivers said: "I am pleased to join the Great Yorkshire Rivers team at such an important time. By fostering strong partnerships, we will deliver the vital environmental objectives and secure the health, resilience, and future of our rivers."

Natasha Michaelides joins the team as its new technical specialist.  Her expertise across river restoration and hydromorphology will be put to good use as Natasha will oversee the partnership's science, monitoring and maintenance strategies to ensure projects deliver lasting benefits.  Natasha will play a fundamental role in helping partners share knowledge, develop skills and promote best practice across projects throughout Yorkshire.

Emma Mortimer’s previous experience of partnerships and community engagement across the charity, commercial and community sectors will be invaluable for her new role of partnership engagement lead, building relationships with stakeholders, increasing community participation and volunteer involvement, and raising awareness of the partnership's work at national, regional and local levels.

Great Yorkshire Rivers is a partnership between Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency and The Rivers Trust. It was established to remove artificial barriers that prevent fish moving freely through Yorkshire's rivers and reaching important breeding habitats.

Since launching in 2022, Great Yorkshire Rivers has funded and supported a growing network of organisations working to remove barriers to fish passage and improve river connectivity across Yorkshire. The partnership is currently supporting 17 live projects and has ambitions to fund and deliver around 60 projects during the current five-year programme.

To date, GYR funding has:

• Created or supported 20 jobs across Yorkshire, including the three new dedicated partnership roles.
• Delivered more than 800 hours of training to upskill partners.
• Funded specialist barrier removal training courses and technical webinars.
• Provided over £820,000 in funding to partner organisations for projects and specialist roles.
• Supported the successful completion of projects including improvements at Skeeby Beck and Hundwith, alongside several feasibility studies for future barrier removal schemes.

The programme is now entering a new phase of investment, supported by more than £21 million of funding, including £11.4 million secured by Yorkshire Water through its environmental programme and a further £10 million of targeted match funding through the partnership.

Over the next five years, this investment will help open up more than 500 kilometres of river habitat across Yorkshire, supporting fish populations, improving biodiversity and creating healthier river environments.

The three new appointments, funded through the Great Yorkshire Rivers programme, reflect a major investment not only in projects, but in the people needed to coordinate, lead and deliver long-term environmental improvements across the region.