Spooktacular support: Local housebuilder donates to Pumpkin's Wildlife Hospital

Run by a team of volunteers, the hospital and centre are dedicated to providing veterinary care and rehabilitation for Britain’s injured, sick and orphaned wildlife, including foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and birds.

This month, the UK launched its first ever National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy to address the alarming hedgehog decline across the country. In rural areas, the population has declined by as much as 75% since 2000[1].

Each month the hospital and rehabilitation centre treats various animals, enabling many to make a full recovery and to be released back into the wild.

The donation comes from The Barratt Foundation’s Community Fund, which sees the housebuilder donate £1,500 each month to a charity improving the lives of individuals and wildlife in the areas close to its developments and offices.

Ana Lapaz-Mendez, founder of Pumpkins Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre commented:“The winter months can be a tough time for British wildlife and now more than ever we need support from the community to continue our vital work. We currently have a range of animals in our care from robins to foxes, and donations like this enable us to provide essential medical intervention.

“We are grateful to representatives from Barratt Homes not only for the donation, but for taking the time to visit the centre and learn more about our animals.”

Marc Woolfe, Sales and Marketing Director at Barratt David Wilson North Thames added: “Protecting our wildlife is a collective responsibility and we are proud to support Pumpkin’s Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in their mission to care for vulnerable animals, especially as research reveals just how urgent the situation is for declining populations. This is why we have a number of measures in place across our developments to help British wildlife all year around, including hedgehog highways, bird and bat boxes and swift bricks.”

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are building a range of new homes across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire, in locations such as Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury, Houghton Regis, Sawbridgeworth and Buckingham.