About Help a Hedgehog Hospital

Help a Hedgehog Hospital (3H) is a non-profit making organisation, founded by former Vet Nurse Annie Parfitt in 2009. She is assisted by a core team of volunteers who provide administration, fundraising, hedgehog care, talks to the public, press liaison and attend local events to promote our work.

Although expenses can be claimed e.g. travel costs for collecting and delivering hedgehogs to the hospital, most volunteers offer their services free of charge as their contribution to our work.

We are here to raise awareness of the endangered status of hedgehogs, educate and inform the public about their needs and welfare and provide specialist veterinary care and rehabilitation in conjunction with our local veterinary practises. Our carers have received training on the care and rehabilitation of Hedgehogs via a British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) approved course, delivered by Vale Wildlife Hospital near Tewkesbury, Glos. and are registered as carers with the BHPS (Registered charity number 362885).

If you would like to see a copy of our Statement of operation, please contact Pauhla Whitaker either by Email at pauhla@helpahedgehog.org or by phone on 01452 864 723

Meet the Team

Annie Parfitt...Founder, Hospital manager and primary carer. Annie has ultimate responsibility for the running of 3H and any major policy decisions.
Pauhla Whitaker...Chairperson, Fundraising and events co-ordinator, membership secretary, website enquiries, assistant carer
Julien Crowther...Minutes Secretary, publicity, events volunteers rota co-ordinator, assistant carer
John Crowther...Talks co-ordinator, records and data co-ordinator, assistant carer
Maureen Reader...Treasurer, fundraiser
Carole Deuten...Daytime emergency contact, assistant carer and runs our satellite hospital in King's Stanley
Mary Hinton...Tetbury area warden, volunteer co-ordinator, assistant carer
Kate Goacher...Facebook and social media coordinator, assistant carer, assistant fundraiser and runs our satellite hospital at Thrupp
Jo Bisley... Carer who runs our satellite hospital at Frampton

What do we do?

Hedgehogs are brought to us by members of the public, local veterinary practises with whom we have fostered good relations, and by other welfare organisations. Our aim is always to rehabilitate hedgehogs and release back to their natural environment.

We are currently carrying out an extensive survey of Hedgehog numbers via a network of volunteer Hedgehog Wardens who cover the county. Using Google mapping, we aim to plot the distribution of hedgehogs in Gloucestershire to identify those areas where they are thriving, those where they are scarce and areas where hedgehogs have disappeared entirely. This will assist us in making decisions about areas suitable for reintroduction and possible release sites for hedgehogs that cannot be returned to the place where they were found. The latter may be due to environmental reasons or because the hedgehogs were orphaned and hand-reared and will need to be released in an area where they can be monitored and fed until they learn how to fend for themselves. However, in the majority of cases all hedgehogs will be returned to the place where they were found when they are well enough to be released.

We always emphasise very firmly to the public that hedgehogs are wild animals and easily stressed and as such, they are not pets and should always be returned to the wild. The only exception to this would be when a hedgehog is partially sighted or has suffered an amputation or other such impairment in which case it would be released into a secure garden where it would be allowed to roam free but will be monitored and fed. All such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and with a veterinary opinion where necessary. We operate a policy of euthanasia on welfare grounds under veterinary advice when necessary and we work within the relevant UK veterinary and welfare legislation. Animal welfare is our prime concern at all times.

Our Wardens, Carers and Volunteers

We are always keen to hear from people who would like to get involved as a volunteer. Our main need is for people to help man the stall at events for an hour or two on occasional weekends or to run their own fundraising events on our behalf such as sponsored walks, coffee mornings, bring and buy sales and to make cakes or crafts for sale e.t.c.

We have also set-up a network of hedgehog wardens covering most of the county. They act as a point of contact with the public at local level, can give advice on non-urgent cases. They also assist with the collection and release of hedgehogs and have responsibility for collecting sightings of hedgehogs, both alive and dead and including mothers and babies to add to the Google map.

Wardens are not generally involved in caring for hedgehogs as this is done by our trained carers. There are currently no vacancies for carers and a waiting list for those who are interested but if you would like to be considered in the future, please contact us and we will be happy to consider you should a vacancy arise.

If you are interested in any of these roles, please contact us.