THE Forest of Dean Hedgehog Rescue is looking for volunteers to help out in areas including fundraising, rescue and transport.

The appeal comes as rescue volunteers were delighted to discover hedgehogs living next to the centre for the first time in over a year this week.

The group posted film of the activity outside on Facebook on Wednesday (May 7), saying: “This has made my day. We knew we’ve had hedgehogs in the past around the rescue but there’s been no activity on the cameras for over a year until this one triggered the rescue camera off.

“Good to see them looking healthy and active. Time to start putting food back out for them xx.”

Volunteers to help at the rescue must be 18 or over to apply and must be able to commit to regular-set days. Applicants should also have transport, as the location, just outside of Newent, is not on a bus route.

The rescue is looking for help with fundraising and stalls, daily tasks, and transport volunteers; as part of a transport group where volunteers can help with transporting sick or injured hedgehogs to the rescue or vet appointments.

Rescue volunteers will carry out tasks such as weighing hedgehogs, cleaning out the hutches, replenishing fresh water, weighing out food to calculate how much has been eaten, carrying out basic observational assessments, and collecting fecal samples.

The Rescue said: “All training and equipment will be provided, if you have got previous experience with hedgehogs that will help but not vital.”

Prospective applicants are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] with either ‘fundraising’, ‘volunteering’ or ‘transport’ as the subject, depending on your interests.

The hedgehog is Ross-on-Wye’s historic mascot, with local legend claiming that the region’s people were ‘prickly’ characters, who were independently minded, adaptable and great warriors, which made them sought-after soldiers who were recruited by kings, given special privileges and called ‘Kings-men’.