🛠 Toolkit for towns/villages

A linked-up town or village can have amazing repercussions for Britain’s hedgehogs. The impressive village of Kirtlington has over 60 hedgehog highways, helping many hedgehogs move around in safety. A great way to start is to make a neighbourhood plan, which are usually drawn up in consultation with the local community.

Posters and invitations can be used to inform people and our slideshow will help explain why the plan is important. Our top tips leaflets are a great size to post through people’s letterboxes, and we can post hard copies of these out to you as well.

You can find all the resources here.

What have other towns done?

The village of Keyworth in Nottinghamshire won our Britain’s Biggest Hedgehog Street competition.

Jackie in south London set up the group SW15 hedgehogs. She works with local volunteers to raise awareness and survey local hedgehogs.

Michel from Barnes helps people create hedgehog highways, with over 1,000 gaps being installed by him and his team.

Elmbridge Conservation Group encourages local people to share tips on making their gardens hog-friendly.

Residents of Kirtlington in Oxfordshire set up the Kirtlington Wildlife and Conservation Society (KWCAS) and built a hedgehog ‘superhighway’.

Extra ideas and inspiration

Social media page to bring people together.
Identifying two greenspaces with hedgehog populations, and focusing efforts on the residents and gardens between these green spaces, in order to connect the isolated populations. Look for local records on the BIG Hedgehog Map.
Hedgehog artwork competitions, both for children and adults, with entries being displayed in the local library, perhaps linking in with a local school.
Having a hedgehog stall at a local library, shopping centre etc, with information, leaflets and posters.
Some local groups have purchased drills and local residents can book appointments to have a hedgehog highway installed in their fence.
Host a hedgehog day in village hall or other community venue, cake competition, games and crafts for children, do a talk etc.
Regular hedgehog column in local newsletter.
Local nature walks (footprint and scat guides are available online).
Contact local development companies and asking them to install hedgehog highways on new-build sites (more info here).
Contact fencing companies to urge them to offer more hedgehog friendly fencing (more info here).