Welcome to Our Website - How it All Began

From Colleen Powell - (Founder) Leicester Hedgehog Rescue.

With hindsight, I think that Les Stocker's book The Complete Hedgehog should carry a Government Health Warning:

When I first opened its pages in the Spring of 1990 and read about the ground breaking work in wildlife care being carried out by Les and his team at St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, I was fired with enthusiasm to try to help the hedgehogs in Leicester.

Of course, like so many setting out along this road, I was totally unprepared for the prickly avalanche that was about to follow and within three months was in serious danger of going under.

In May 1990, my simple 5 line plea for help in the Leicester Mercury brought forth an amazing 64 offers from like minded souls and so, armed with my Complete Hedgehog and with a couple of courses at 'Tiggys' under my belt, Leicester Hedgehog Rescue was born.

We take in sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs from members of the public in Leicester. When fit again, all are released back into the wild with the exception of those that are old, blind or amputees. These become treasured slug eating guests living in the safety of enclosed gardens.

Hedgehogs are cared for by volunteers working in their own homes. These fantastic people are the backbone of our group and we simply could not exist without them. Tiggywinkles continue to be a source of help and advice for which we are so grateful.

Working closely with our Vets and following protocols set out by St Tiggywinkles we have had much success. This has given us the immense satisfaction of seeing hundreds of fat, healthy hedgehogs packing their suitcases en route to Mother Nature where all wild creatures belong, and we all feel privileged to have been able to help.

In 2007 Leicester Hedgehog Rescue carers took in 296 casualties. To meet our spiralling food and veterinary bills we have to fund raise non-stop. Please support our work by visiting our stand at a fundraising event, by buying a garden nestbox or by sponsoring a hedgehog. Anyone kindly donating money will receive a hedgehog sponsorship (or two) as a thank you.

Proceeds enable us to continue to give the best possible treatment to our hedgehogs in care. Our wonderful carers and their patients deserve no less.

Happy Browsing

Colleen.