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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 3rd May 2022
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British Hedgehog Preservation Society celebrates 40 years
"A little effort from each of us could make life a lot easier for hedgehogs" - Fay Vass, chief executive, BHPS.
To mark the anniversary, the charity is asking people to 'do their bit' for hedgehogs. 

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is celebrating its 40th anniversary over this year's Hedgehog Awareness Week (1 – 7 May 2022).

In celebration of its landmark anniversary, the charity is asking members of the public to 'grant some hedgehoggy birthday wishes', to support the UK's hedgehog population. 

Some suggestions the charity has provided are making hedgehog highways in fences, creating square gaps in the bottom of fences or walls to allow hedgehogs to pass through, creating an undisturbed log pile to provide shelter and food for hedgehogs and building a hedgehog home.

Other ideas the charity has offered for celebration include leaving out water and meaty dog or cat food, checking carefully before mowing or strimming, ditching pesticides and poisons, ensuring that all ponds and pools have a way for hedgehogs to easily get out, creating a wild corner in the garden and joining the BHPS. 

In a news release, the charity shared the heartwarming story of its founding: “It all began when Adrian (Major Adrian Coles MBE) found a hedgehog in a cattle grid on his land; he rescued it using a saucepan and then realised that if there hadn’t been a Major on hand with kitchenalia, the hedgehog would not have survived! 

“He used his position as a County Councillor at the time to get Shropshire Council to install escape ramps in all its grids. 

“The resulting publicity was so vast that he realised there was a great appetite to help the humble hedgehog in the UK; and so, the Society was founded.”

Fay Vass, chief executive of BHPS, commented: “Hedgehogs are struggling and mostly that’s due to human activity; these small actions can help a great deal - a little effort from each of us could make life a lot easier for hedgehogs! 

“If you don’t have a garden yourself, you can still help by contacting public space managers, neighbours, family and friends to ensure they are doing their bit.”

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.