West Sussex animal centre receives funding boost ahead of Christmas
Hurst Hedgehog Haven in Hurstpierpoint is getting £2,500 to help with the rocketing cost of caring for sick and injured wild animal
A West Sussex animal centre has been awarded a £2,500 grant from the RSPCA to help with the rocketing cost of caring for sick and injured wild animals.
The award - to help with the cost of living crisis - was granted to Hurst Hedgehog Haven in Hurstpierpoint based on how effectively staff would use the additional funding to improve welfare for the animals in its care and directly benefit wildlife through its rescue and rehabilitation work.
A total of fifteen grants have been awarded to independent wildlife centres across England under the RSPCA's Perfect Storm Programme, which was established as an emergency response to the cost of living crisis.
RSPCA assistant director Gemma Hope said: “Grants of £2,500 have been awarded by the RSPCA to smaller independent wildlife centres to help them with the soaring costs of rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife.
“These centres are doing a fantastic job - and play a vital role in the country’s wildlife rescue network - but we recognise that the cost of living crisis is causing huge difficulties for many of them.
“From injured bats and orphaned bunnies to sick hares and underweight hedgehogs, the RSPCA’s funding will help to improve the welfare, rescue and rehabilitation of the wildlife in these centres’ care. It could help with everything from providing new equipment, bedding and food to transportation costs, veterinary support and utility bills.
“We are all in this together and can all play our part in improving the lives of animals. The RSPCA works closely with this network of independent rescue centres so we’re very proud to be able to help them continue their vital work in making the rescue and rehabilitation of Britain’s wild animals as seamless and effective as possible.”
Criteria to apply for the grants included being a small wildlife rescue centre with an annual income of less than £500,000. They had to be independent from the RSPCA and not an RSPCA wildlife centre or run by an RSPCA branch. They had to be on the RSPCA’s approved list as well as being approved and audited by an RSPCA field officer for wildlife and exotics.