Fish in Need is a new conservation and education charity established by a group of fish lovers in 2021. Our aim is to revive, rescue and restore fish populations across the UK by supporting initiatives to improve habitats for freshwater fish, reintroduce stock where appropriate, and enhance the public’s knowledge of freshwater fish species and how to preserve the ecosystems they inhabit .

The founding team includes John Bailey (renowned angling expert and author), Paul Whitehouse (actor and comedian), Richard Hewitt (a passionate angler and ex-chairman of Farlow’s), Simon Clark (ex-City lawyer), Professor Mark Everard (author and renowned authority on sustainability) and Kirsty Hewitt (public health specialist).

Why are we doing this?

Fish matter because:

• They keep ecosystems working (interlocking food chains, energy and chemical cycles, nutrient transport, other species’ life cycles)
• They regulate the environment (indicators of water quality, control of disease spreading organisms, water purification, dispersing seeds/spores)
• Humans use them (food, trade, pets, oil, ornament)
• They have cultural value (recreation, art, community, tourism)

We will provide financial support in the form of grants, as well as sharing our expertise and helping with publicity. We aim to be non-bureaucratic, supporting grassroots action, not just aspiration. We are looking to support projects that are credible, deliverable, sustainable and of public benefit.