A NEW hedgehog hospital is due to open in St Mawgan in the New Year.

Prickles and Paws in Cubert is due to launch its hogspital at Carnanton in February after 93 per cent of fundraising target was reached.

A final crowd-funding appeal has been started to cover the remaining costs and complete construction. The Wildly Close crowd-funder is being match-funded by BA Better World Community Fund – Planet, meaning that all donations are effectively doubled.

Prickles and Paws has been fundraising hard for a new hedgehog hospital since January 2022 to help it to cope with ever-rising numbers of injured hedgehogs and hoglets. The rescue and rehabilitation facility sees more than 1,400 hedgehog admissions each year.

The charity outgrew its current residential premises years ago. The new Hogspital will offer greatly improved facilities and enable the charity to help even more hedgehogs.

Prickles and Paws CEO, John Lewis said: “The Hogspital project has been years in the making and we are now so close to completion - we now just need to fund the fit-out of the facilities. The great news is that all donations for this final stage are being match-funded by BA Better World Community Fund - Planet, so every pound donated is doubled. We are so grateful to the generosity of everyone who has got us to this stage – huge thanks to our local community and our many generous donors, sponsors and supporters.

“In addition to expanding operations, the new Hogspital is purposely designed to be sustainable, both in terms of the charity’s future, and its environmental impact. Solar panels and battery storage will help us to cut our carbon footprint, and is expected to give us significant savings on our energy bills, streamlining our outgoings and enabling us to prioritise animal care.

“Hedgehogs are one of Britain’s most iconic and best loved wild animals, yet they are classified as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ in the UK. Prickles and Paws aims to reverse this trend, helping upwards of 1,400 hedgehogs every year. The new Hogspital, which is in the final stages of construction, will substantially increase the charity's current capacity for hedgehog admissions and care.”

Prickles and Paws is a much-loved non-profit charity in Cubert, which has gained over 46,000 social media followers and attracted the support of patrons including model and TV celebrity Lucie Donlan, BBC Earth presenter Hannah Stitfall and author and spokesperson for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Hugh Warwick. The charity not only provides care for hedgehogs but is also very active in the local community, bringing people together to volunteer, offering educational talks and work placement opportunities.

Charity co-founder and rescue director, Katy South said: “Prickles and Paws is Cornwall’s largest hedgehog rescue. Last year alone, we admitted a record 1,428 sick, injured, or orphaned hedgehogs, an impressive achievement given the charity’s current residential location. This new hedgehog hospital will allow our team to expand and enhance operations, supporting many more hedgehogs in need.”