Exciting News!

So to kick off the New Year we have some very exciting news. Our land purchase for the new hospital completed on 4th January 2024. This has been months of enormous pressure and been quite challenging in what should have been a straight forward sale but had many obstacles. We have only been able to do this because Alan has bought it personally and the charity will buy what it needs to build the hospital on. This will future proof our charity and its work and leave a legacy for the future guardians of our hedgehogs and other creatures that pass our way.

The plans have been created by Alistair Orchard-Mitchell and encompass as much in the way of eco friendly methods as affordable and the potential to improve these as we can. So it will give us huge space, seminar room, triage and lab room, clean utility, dirty utility, feed room, reception and office and store. Plus a smaller barn to replace the system we have at Alan’s barn at the moment. This is to make it more user friendly and set up so Alan doesn’t have to do these every day.

Native planting has been designed and will be created by Malcom and Liz Montague of MGM Landscapes.

The planning pre-app has been submitted and we will shortly post the plans on here for you all to see. This year is going to be busy, as usual, and exciting. Fund raising is already under way courtesy of probably one of the most phenomenal forces of nature I have ever met, Janice. Every charity needs a Janice to raise money for them and track down funding opportunities and grants.

The biggest thanks is to Alan, who when he asked me to share his home with him, did not expect it to be filled with people and hedgehogs. Or to be purchasing 6.8 acres of land he doesnt actually need. He is often over looked in all the work he does to raise funds, look after hedgehogs, take phone calls, build houses and feed stations, and boxes for just about any animal or bird that cares to dwell in them from bats and dormice to owls and hedgehogs. Not to mention the dreaded paper sorting, rubbish sorting and removal and much more. Oh and of course tea and coffee making duties. Plus being a radio star!

So here we go, welcome 2024 and bring it on.