Hedgehog Street People: Hedgehog Champion Kitty
2nd October 2026
13-year-old Kitty from Norfolk is the founder of local action group Hampdens Hedgehogs. Kitty is a passionate Hedgehog Champion and since the age of eight has been working tirelessly to improve the fortunes and raise awareness of local hedgehogs. Kitty’s incredible efforts include fundraising, litter picking, organising local stalls and delivering talks (to name a few!). Her dedication has even won her a local Young Achiever award!
We caught up with Kitty to find out more about her efforts helping hedgehogs.
Why do you love hedgehogs?
Hedgehogs are fascinating animals – one of the things I find most interesting is that their spines are made from keratin, the same material as our hair and nails. Hedgehogs are also incredibly clever. Although their eyesight is quite poor, they have excellent hearing and a fantastic sense of smell. They have developed amazing adaptations to help them survive in the wild, including their spines, which help protect them from predators.
Despite being quite small, hedgehogs are very active and can travel up to two kilometres in a single night while searching for food and mates. I think that’s pretty impressive! Hedgehogs are also an important part of British wildlife and culture. They are one of the UK’s most loved animals and are even being considered for inclusion on future Bank of England banknotes. I’ve already voted for them and I hope lots of other people do too!
What made you want to start helping them and set up Hampdens Hedgehogs?
When I was eight years old, I watched a David Attenborough documentary with my parents. It talked about how hedgehog numbers were declining and that they were on the conservation Red List. After watching it, I became curious about whether we had any hedgehogs in our garden. My mum helped me cut a hedgehog hole in our fence and we borrowed a wildlife camera from my uncle. We put out some food and waited to see what would happen. The next day, we checked the footage and were amazed to find not only hedgehogs visiting our garden but also an owl. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were. From that moment, I knew I wanted to do everything I could to help hedgehogs.
That one camera recording completely changed my life and inspired me to start Hampdens Hedgehogs.
Tell us about your brilliant work to help local hedgehogs.
- Every year around Hedgehog Awareness Week, I organise a hedgehog awareness stall. We started with a small stall on our village green and now we run one at our local village fete. We hold raffles and sell hedgehog biscuits, hedgehog food, badges and other items to raise money and awareness. For the last two years, we’ve been lucky enough to have a stall at the Costessey Fete, which attracts thousands of visitors. We talk to residents about becoming Hedgehog Champions and explain simple things they can do to make their gardens more wildlife-friendly.
- I also started a monthly litter pick after noticing how much rubbish was being left around our estate. Litter can be dangerous for wildlife, including hedgehogs, so I wanted to do something about it. Over the last two years, Hampdens Hedgehogs volunteers have collected more than 250 bags of rubbish. When I think about how much litter would still be there if we hadn’t started, it makes me really proud.
- We also organise community bulb planting days, create pollinator pathways by turning unused green spaces into wildflower areas, and encourage residents to plant up the tree pits outside their homes. These projects help create habitats for insects, which provide food for hedgehogs and other wildlife.
- Last year, we raised more than £1,000 to purchase “Slow Down for Hedgehogs” road signs. Because our estate is currently unadopted, we couldn’t apply for some of the usual funding, so we crowdfunded and received support from both Costessey Town Council and South Norfolk Council. The signs have now been installed in areas where we have monitored hedgehog road casualties over the last four years. We hope they will encourage drivers to slow down and help protect both wildlife and residents.
- We have also encouraged neighbours to adopt the tree pits outside their homes and plant wildflowers and bulbs.
It’s amazing how a whole community can come together to make a difference.
Which part has been the most fun?
My favourite part is giving talks to different groups and organisations. I’ve spoken at gardening clubs, Rainbows groups and even Costessey Town Council meetings. I enjoy sharing presentations about all the work Hampdens Hedgehogs does and teaching people about hedgehogs. I especially love working with younger children. If I can inspire even one child to become a Hedgehog Champion, then I feel I’ve achieved something really worthwhile. In the future, I would love to volunteer with a youth organisation and continue helping young people learn about wildlife conservation.
What do you have planned for the future?
This year we are fundraising to provide “Slow Down for Hedgehogs” bin stickers for all 900 households on our estate. My idea is that, alongside the road signs, the stickers will act as another visual reminder for people to drive more carefully and be aware of local wildlife. We would also love to install a community noticeboard on the estate. It would give us somewhere to advertise our events and share information about local fetes, activities and Costessey Town Council events. We hope it would help bring the community together even more.
What has been your best hedgehog achievement?
It is difficult to choose just one achievement because there have been so many exciting opportunities since I started Hampdens Hedgehogs. One of my proudest achievements has been helping to raise the money for and install the “Slow Down for Hedgehogs” signs around our estate. The signs have been placed in areas where hedgehogs have sadly been killed on the roads, and we hope they will encourage drivers to slow down and look out for our prickly friends. I was also incredibly excited to recently appear on ITV News, where I was able to talk about the monthly community litter picks that Hampdens Hedgehogs organises. It was amazing to have the chance to explain why litter picking is so important, not only for people but also for wildlife such as hedgehogs.
I never imagined that my work would be featured on television, and it was a really special experience.
I was also honoured to receive the Young Achiever Award at the South Norfolk Community Awards. It was a lovely surprise and made me feel very proud that the work I do for wildlife and the community had been recognised. In addition, I have received two awards from Costessey Town Council. These awards mean a lot to me because they recognise not just my efforts but also the hard work of all the volunteers who support our litter picks, fundraising events and community projects. More than anything, my biggest achievement is seeing people become interested in helping hedgehogs. Whether it is someone cutting a hedgehog hole in their fence, planting wildflowers, joining one of our litter picks or becoming a Hedgehog Champion, knowing that I have helped inspire others is what makes me most proud.
What’s your number one tip for helping hedgehogs?
My number one tip is simple: make a hole in your fence and put out food and water. A small hedgehog highway can help connect gardens and allow hedgehogs to travel safely between habitats. You can also provide fresh water and suitable food, such as hedgehog food or crunchy meat-based kitten biscuits. I would also encourage everyone to follow Hedgehog Street’s Top 10 Tips for becoming a Hedgehog Champion.
Whenever we attend events, we hand out Hedgehog Street leaflets and encourage people to register sightings of hedgehogs, whether they are alive or sadly found dead. Every sighting helps build a better picture of hedgehog populations across Norfolk and the rest of the UK.
Small actions really can make a big difference, and if lots of people work together, we can help ensure hedgehogs have a brighter future.
