The History

It all began back in the early 1990’s in Vicki’s childhood home in Sherborne in the Cotswolds, a childhood shared with all sorts of animals domestic and wildlife.
Trying to help the best we could with at that point limited information and knowledge, but also a time when overwintering hedgehogs was very different
The History
In the Autumn of 2014 Emily-Rose found 2 small autumn juveniles in the garden, from her teenage years Vicki knew they were too small to survive hibernation, a third followed when a friend knew Vicki and Emily had already taken 2 in to help. When the smallest became unwell with lungworm Vicki took it to her then Vet Jason at Woods in Quedgeley, who put her in contact with Jo Bisley from Wild Hogs Hedgehog Rescue, who treated the little one.
It was Jo who said “why don’t you open a rescue” and with Vicki’s “it will just be a few hedgehogs” Brockworth Hedgehog Rescue was born, in the winter of 2014/2015 we had 3, in our first year 2015, we admitted 152 hedgehogs and in 2024 we admitted 958.

What followed with Jo was spending 9 years building 2 rescues together and a friendship that now goes beyond hedgehogs and will continue to.
Vicki spent 3 years volunteering at Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre and during that time Emily also helped out with her.
Gaining experience is vital when starting a rescue.

The Rescue's Timeline

Brockworth Hedgehog Rescue was founded

2015

Our first year we admitted 152 hedgehogs

2016

First Shed in Garden

2016

Filming Gillian Burke for BBC Winterwatch in the Rescue

2016

Purpose Built Hospital Shed from Master Sheds

2017

Filming with Michaela Strachan for BBC Autumnwatch in the garden of Vicki's childhood home in Sherborne

2017

First Installation of Specialist Cages

2021

Moving into larger premises in Abbotswood

2023

51 cages are installed

2024

We admitted 958 hedgehogs

2024

10 years old

2025

Frequently asked questions

A large percentage of the hedgehogs we have brought to us are returned to the garden they were found in, the guidelines from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society state that hedgehogs should be returned back to where they came from where possible. 

We will only release hedgehogs where there is already an existing population, which is within the guidelines set out by the BHPS, if there is not a population there will be a reason for that.

When feeding in the garden we must remember that this is support feeding, we are not trying to replace their natural feeding. 

Meaty Cat food

Cat Biscuits

Specialist meat based hedgehog food such as Brambles or Spikes

A shallow bowl of water  

Mealworms

Peanuts

Sunflower Hearts, 

Dried Fruit

Eggs

Cooked / Raw meat

Processed foods such as cakes etc

The foods that are listed to avoid are due to the effects they can have on the health of the hedgehog

The only time the public have access to the hospital part of the rescue is on our 2 open days each year in May and September. Please see our events page for more information.

 We accept donations of food (Cat food both wet and dry), Newspapers (Please no magazines, junk mail etc) and have an amazon wish list for items to be purchased and delivered to the rescue.https://amzn.eu/cc6lqhF
Donations can be left in the green bins outside of the rescue and in our collection points in Tesco Brockworth, Co-op in Abbotswood and Barnwood

 

Unit 5, Abbotswood Shopping Centre, Brockworth, Gloucester GL3 4NY
07789 268296
Phone line is manned 8am - 7pm daily, please call to arrange to bring a hedgehog in as the rescue is not always manned during this time. 
© 2025 Brockworth Hedgehog Rescue
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