Get Creative to Celebrate Hedgehog Awareness Week

Admin
13 hours ago
3 min read

ENTER OUR COLOURING COMPETITION TO WIN A HOGGY GOODY BAG

To celebrate this year’s Hedgehog Awareness Week, Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital is inviting children of all ages and abilities to take part in a fun colouring competition.

Hedgehog Awareness Week, organised annually by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, takes place during the first week of May. It is an important time to raise awareness about hedgehogs in the UK and how we can all help protect these much loved but vulnerable animals.

A SPECIAL COLLABORATION

We are delighted to be working in partnership with author Julie McDonald and Aldingbourne Country Centre for this project. This collaboration brings together shared values of celebrating our differences, creativity, and nature.

Julie’s beautifully written and illustrated books encourage children to explore kindness, empathy, and understanding of differences in a thoughtful and accessible way. Through her character Hedgy the hedgehog and his wildlife friends, she gently introduces everyday and social challenges that help children reflect on big feelings, friendship, and inclusion. This storytelling approach makes her a natural partner for a project that aims to inspire compassion for wildlife and a deeper respect for the natural world.

Aldingbourne Country Centre also provides meaningful opportunities and creative experiences for people with learning disabilities. Their focus on bringing inclusion and community together in nature and outdoor spaces makes them an ideal partner in creating an activity that is accessible and inspiring for everyone.

Together, we are using Hedgehog Awareness Week as a chance to engage children and families through creativity, while encouraging a deeper understanding of our differences.

HOW TO ENTER:

Simply download and print one of the 2 colouring sheets above
Sheets are also availabile to pick up from Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, Sidlesham or from Aldingbourne Countre Centre
Get creative and colour in anyway you like!
Once you have finished, take a photo and email it enquiries@brentlodge.org
Make sure you include the artists name and age.
By entering you agree for us to add your email into the prize draw and be entered to Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital's, Aldingbourne Country Centre and Julie McDonald mailing list.
Entry between Sunday 3rd-Sunday 9th May 9pm.
3 winners will be selected at random from each colouring sheet category. Winners will be contacted by email to collect their hoggy prizes by Monday 11th May.

ABOUT HEDGEHOGS?

Here are 5 fun and simple facts about British hedgehogs:

Hedgehogs are covered in thousands of spines that help protect them from danger.
They come out at night, so you might spot one in your garden after dark! If you do spot one in the daytime then they may be poorly so call for help.
Hedgehogs love to eat bugs, worms, and beetles.
When they feel scared, they curl up into a ball of spikes to stay safe.
In winter, hedgehogs hibernate, sleeping for months until the weather gets warmer again.

If you find a sick or injured hedgehog then they will need help at a special animal hospital like Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital. Here we care for hundreds of poorly hedgehogs to get them healthy again for release. Hedgehogs are very special creatures and need our help to stay safe in the wild.

Here are 3 simple ways to help hedgehogs:

Create a hedgehog-friendly garden by leaving a small gap in your fence (a “hedgehog highway”) so they can travel safely between gardens.
Provide food and water by putting out shallow dishes of fresh water and some hedgehog food or meaty cat food (never milk, as it can make them very ill).
Leave piles of leaves or logs so hedgehogs have somewhere to hide, nest, and hibernate.