Every single day, a minimum of six amazing volunteers arrive at the rescue at 8.30am – often more, sometimes as many as nine, ready to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into the huge amount of work that keeps our hedgehogs safe, clean, fed, warm and cared for.
Their morning is full-on from the moment they walk through the door. They:
- Clean out the cages
- Weigh the hedgehogs and record their weights and food intake
- Wash and replenish food and water bowls
- Complete hydrotherapy for hedgehogs with leg injuries
- Keep the outdoor feeding stations clean and topped up
- Keep the washing machines and tumble dryers constantly on the go
- Clean the rescue daily – incubators, bins, flat surfaces, hedgehog buckets, floors… all of it
- Host fundraising events and give educational talks to WI’s, gardening groups and children
- Some volunteers admit and assess poorly and injured hedgehogs, answer the telephone and respond to queries and also give medications
And they do all this while juggling full‑time jobs, part‑time work, families at home, and everyday life. Many of them also help out in their local community with hedgehog rescues, and some even have their own foster hogs at home – giving extra care on top of everything they already do here.
Their dedication is extraordinary. Their kindness is constant. Their energy keeps this rescue going.
We are so grateful to each and every volunteer who gives their time, their skills, and their hearts to the hedgehogs who need us. You make everything possible, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Thank you truly for being the backbone of Northumbrian Hedgehog Rescue Trust. 💚🦔🌿
The top image is courtesy of The Evening Chronicle