MORE than a decade of washing up in a camping sink outside at 5am will hopefully come to an end if the target is met to build a new hedgehog hospital in Stroud.

Annie Parfitt who founded the Help A Hedgehog Hospital with a team of volunteers, more than 12 years ago is hoping to raise around £7,000 for a new building to help care for more sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs and hoglets.

Her current shed at the Brimscombe site is bursting at the seams and has no running water which means Annie finds herself breaking through ice in mid-winter to wash up all the food bowls under the stars before going off to her job as a teacher.

“I got this shed after years of asking for donations rather than birthday or Christmas presents and it has been good for all that time,” says Annie.

“But we really do need some new facilities to cope with the number of injured and rescued animals that are coming through the door.”

In the last couple of weeks Annie has taken on two tiny hoglets weighing just 35 grams which were found in a disturbed nest alongside their dead siblings.

They followed two others weighing 80 grams where the mother hedgehog had likely been in a car accident. They were riddled with fly strike and were trying to forage alone in the wild.

In other cages she has other hedgehogs including one badly attacked by a badger and another that has had a leg amputated after getting caught in pea netting.

Within just four days of launching the appeal, more than £1,800 has been donated for the new hospital and Annie is hopeful they will reach their target.

With two other centres, Hedgehog Haven at Kings Stanley and Hogwards at Tetbury there will be plenty of inpatients to keep them busy throughout the year.

“I know these are tough times for people so we only asked for donations of £2 a time but everyone has been incredibly generous,” said Annie.

To find out more go to the Help a Hedgehog Hospital on Facebook and to donate click: here.

Photographs by Simon Pizzey.