Hedgehogs in Hemel Hempstead get special homes to raise their hoglets thanks to Dacorum woman's fundraising

Hemel Hempstead' s hedgehog population will be able to raise their children in hedgehog houses thanks to a Dacorum woman's fundraising efforts.

During lockdown, Louise has been walking her neighbours’ dogs to raise money to purchase her hedgehog houses from the Repair Shed, which builds them especially for her.

She then places them in friends and family gardens around the area to provide a safe haven for the spikey little creatures.

As her friends were all involved Louise has now begun approaching local businesses and hotels to host an additional room especially for her hedgehog friends.

There are now hedgehog houses in Sunnyside Rural Trust, the Hospice of St. Francis, Champneys, Ashlyns Care Home and the Boxmoor Trust all making life a little easier for wildlife in Dacorum.

This month, Louise has seen the first batch of hoglets born to her estate of hog-homes.

She said: “They are adorable, I am so thrilled that building these homes has paid off.”

The new hedge-family are being hosted by Louise’s sister Lesley.

Lesley said: “At first we noticed a hedgehog coming and going into the house.

"But it wasn’t until I put some food out the other day that I noticed she had had a litter of hoglets and they had become a family.”

Louise got the idea to distribute hedgehog houses from Community Action Dacorum’s Repair Shed.

She said: “I saw the things that they could make and asked them to make me a hedgehog house.

"Bob (from the Hemel Repair Shed) said he would have a go, and so my prototype was made.”

The Repair Sheds operate throughout the Borough, with sheds in Hemel Hempstead, Northchurch and near Markyate, to provide opportunities for the over 50s to use their skills in engineering and woodworking to upcycle and recycle a wide range of items.

Linda Nateghi, Repair Sheds Manager, said: "The Repair Sheds program combats loneliness and isolation in the over 50s by providing them with purposeful activities that allow for shoulder-to-shoulder conversations.

"Often, particularly for men over 50, it is difficult to express emotions eye-to-eye, whereas when working next to one another, they can chat through their problems in a way that is more

comfortable, and which allows them to support each other.”

Tony Mackinder, the Repair Sheds manager at Community Action Dacorum, added: "The most important thing about the sheds is that it is great fun.

"The members, or Shedders as they like to be called, love coming down and creating stuff from scrap wood or metal. It really is an environmental project!”

Simon Aulton, chief executive of Community Action Dacorum, said: “We are very proud of Louise and all the work she has done to get hedgehog houses out into the community.

"Our Shedders, love creating beautiful hedgehog homes from scrap wood, and it gives them a real sense of value and pride to hear about this new family.”

Louise’s prickle of hedgehogs stretches around the borough and is growing month on a month.

People wanting to purchase a hedgehog home for their garden can contact the Repair Sheds by emailing [email protected] or calling 01442 253935.

Anyone interested in joining a Repair Shed can also email [email protected]