First Emma’s Hedgehog Hotel Terrington St Clement open day "resounding success" after raising £1,059

A very busy first-ever open day at Emma’s Hedgehog Hotel in Terrington St Clement was a "resounding success" after raising £1,059 on Saturday.

The open day was the culmination of hedgehog awareness week which ran May 1-7.

Emma Pickering, who runs the self funded hotel, said: "We now plan to run these events every year, it was a resounding success.

"We had an estimated 200 to 250 people attend and the weather was fantastic."

There was face painting and other games or activities for children, hedgehog masks and other hedgehog awareness tools.

The hotel staged an awareness talk which Emma said was important as the mammal is currently on the vulnerable to extinction list.

She added: "Thank you to my neighbours JA Collison & Sons flower farm for letting me have some of their land for car parking; to Lovell Construction for a free portable toilet; and to all of the volunteers for all their help."

Since October the hotel has released more than 100 hedgehogs into the wild and there are currently 32 being rehabilitated.

Emma gave some tips about encouraging the animals into peoples' gardens: "It's important to let some nettles or wild flowers to grow.

"We're all so busy making our gardens spotless.

"Leave a hedgehog highway gap in your fence for hedgehogs to go underneath – they can travel 3km for food – and put out a shallow bowl of water and food like biscuits."

She added: "I’m so very grateful to each and everyone who came.

"There was such a lovely atmosphere at the rescue and lots of fun had by all."

The money raised will go towards the upkeep of the animal welfare project.