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To celebrate Hedgehog Awareness Week (5th to 11th May), Barratt Homes has donated resources for hedgehogs to a Lancashire school to support the preservation of the beloved creatures.

Following the awakening of hedgehogs from hibernation in March and April, Barratt Homes recognised the need to provide safe havens for these spiky residents. The donation of three hedgehog homes, food and bowls was gifted to Woodlea Junior School in Leyland, based close to the homebuilder’s Centurion Court development.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has been a vocal advocate for the protection of hedgehogs, stressing the importance of initiatives like this donation in combating their population decline.

In response to the call to action by the society to create hedgehog-friendly environments, the housebuilder took a proactive step by working with Woodlea Junior School to ensure the safety of local hedgehogs.

Pupils at Woodlea Junior School with the equipment donated by Barratt Homes

Jillian Shorrocks, Headteacher at Woodlea Junior School, said: “We are very excited about the new homes for our hedgehogs. We feel that these will support their protection and provide safety for them. It will also enable our children to develop awareness of hedgehogs and help support their habitat.

“These homes and awareness are helping us to work towards us gaining ‘Eco School’ status and further supporting our eco and sustainability agenda.”

As reported by The Guardian, the number of hedgehog sightings in the UK is slowly on the rise, after years of decline. Since 2000, the numbers had fallen by an estimated 30-75% across various areas of the countryside, but an increase of 2% in the last year suggests an improvement, and it’s up to UK residents to ensure it stays that way.

Alan Watt, Head of Sales at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “We believe that every inhabitant of our communities deserves a safe and nurturing environment, including our prickly friends.

Pupils with the hedgehog homes donated by Barratt Homes for Hedgehog Awareness Week

“We hope our donation will give local hedgehogs protection and a safe home at Woodlea Junior School, whilst also encouraging the pupils to consider the wildlife near their own homes.”

Centurion Court is the third phase of Barratt Homes’ Centurion Village development which, based just south of Preston, offers new home buyers a chance to benefit from rural surroundings close to high-quality schooling and excellent commuter links.

To view the wider range of properties by the developers in the county, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Lancashire.

Lancashire school welcomes homebuilder's donation to protect prickly pals