Brinsbury College celebrates status as a hedgehog friendly campus

Brinsbury College celebrates status as a hedgehog friendly campus.

They are one of Britain’s most recognisable, hedgehogs are among the country’s most loved wild animals.  

Sadly, hedgehog populations are thought to be falling rapidly and they are now considered vulnerable to extinction in Britain.

So, it was only natural that students at Brinsbury College decided to take action to support their local hedgehogs – and their efforts have been rewarded with the college achieving the ‘Hedgehog Friendly Campus Bronze Award’.

Led by Vocation+ students, they have worked on completing Hedgehog surveys, provided hedgehog houses, completed litter picking and had a launch party in the canteen to raise awareness of the work that they are collectively completing.

In total the students have worked hard to complete a total of 10 units to ensure the campus is a safe and friendly environment for hedgehogs. 

Sally Challis-Manning MBE, Principal of Brinsbury College, said: “We’re very proud of our students and delighted to be a ‘Hedgehog Friendly Campus’. This was a project they identified and have shown a huge commitment to.

“Hedgehogs – with their prickly appearance and inquisitive eyes – are hugely popular, yet are suffering as a result of the destruction of their habitats, increased road traffic and the use of pesticides which makes finding food much harder.

“But there are simple things we can all do to help hedgehogs, as our students have been discovering and then educating their peers as well as our dedicated staff at Brinsbury College.

“As a land-based college, it’s even more important that we take every step to support our local eco-system and help our community of students, staff and visitors to do the same.”

The Hedgehog Friendly Campus scheme is run by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.