They’re cute, prickly and highly regarded by fans of the Sonic videogame franchise. But sadly, hedgehogs are also a species in decline. For the ‘lucky’ ones who are in need, organisations like Lucky Hedgehog Rescue in Hull are a literal life saver. We spoke to Lucky’s founder, Lucy, to learn more about the charity and their fundraising.
Tell us all about Lucky Hedgehog Rescue
We believe every hedgehog deserves a second chance at life. So we rescue, rear and rehabilitate, sick, injured and orphaned wild UK Hedgehogs 24/7. Hedgehogs are in serious decline, as is their natural food source of Beetles and other insects/grubs, so we also educate the public and schools on how to help save these iconic creatures and discourage the use of pesticides which are killing their food chain, which is inadvertently killing the hedgehogs. We have volunteers of all ages assisting us in their daily care and we offer students both Duke of Edinburgh and work experience positions.
What do you need funding for?
We need to fundraise to cover the expenses of overhead running costs, vet bills and medication costs, food, specialist equipment etc. which runs into thousands of pounds each month. Without donations we simply could not function. Wildlife and hedgehog rescues cannot gain grants or government help, so rely totally on our generous supporters’ donations.
Why did you join easyfundraising?
We rely on donations but realise that in the current climate especially, people don’t have a lot of spare income to give away. We saw easyfundraising as a way to generate extra funding, which our community could still get behind, without it costing them anything extra. It’s fabulous – we’ve raised just short of £1,000 so far.
What have you spent the funds on?
Every penny donated helps with so many costs, last month we received a quarterly payment of £89.46 which paid for approx. 5 days of our hedgehog food bill, which makes a huge difference for us.
Is there a particular project or mission you are fundraising for at the moment?
We are always fundraising, however, we are in desperate need of upgrading our three hospital sheds. The cages are now worn out and breaking, which means we could have to reduce the number of patients we take in- we must provide hygienic & spacious containment for each hedgehog patient, so donations at this time are needed so much more to be in a position to replace the broken units and be ready for more patients. We currently have 60 in care.
How do you promote easyfundraising to your current and potential supporters?
We currently use our Facebook page and website to advertise easyfundraising, which has been hugely beneficial. All of our volunteers help spread the word too whenever we are attending any events or visiting schools.
What advice would you give to other causes to help them raise as well as you have?
The primary advice would be to keep on promoting it as much as possible. There are lots of resources available to help share your cause page and it’s important to do this at various times over the months to spread the word. Keeping followers updated on how much has been raised is a good idea too, to keep them motivated and prove that it really is making a big difference!
Get behind the Lucky Hedgehog Rescue
You can help the Lucy and her team continue to be there for hedgehogs in need every time you shop online. Become a supporter.
Connected to a cause that could use some additional free funding? Register your good cause.