Community Grant Awards: Hedgehogs4Hailsham

A total of £12,215.47 has been awarded to a wide range of non-profit organisations, aimed at enhancing facilities, activities, and projects that benefit the residents of Hailsham. Such funds are intended to assist organisations that rely on public donations, fundraising, and volunteers to deliver valuable services to the community.

Hedgehogs4Hailsham is an initiative set up to protect hedgehogs and supporting conservation of the animals locally. The group is working towards 'making Hailsham the most hedgehog friendly town in Britain' and is encouraging residents to make space for hedgehogs in their gardens and neighbourhood by introducing 'hedgehog highways' - designed to connect gardens, enabling hedgehogs to roam freely and forage for food and shelter without restriction.

Hedgehogs4Hailsham is delighted to receive the grant from the Town Council, which will help towards the costs of creating a a strong information website, with a broad knowledge base and providing resources for schools and the wider public.

"I love Hailsham, and I am working to raise awareness of how we can help wildlife (especially hedgehogs) in the town and surrounding areas," said Gill Howson, founder of Heldgehogs4Hailsham. "I'm grateful to the Town Council for the grant and want to encourage everyone to take action to create hedgehog highways in any enclosed fences. It will make such a difference to the chances of our favoured wildlife."

"If you do make a highway or spot a hedgehog, please log it via the Big Hedgehog Map. Wouldn't it be great if Hailsham prickled with hogs on the map?"

Further information on the project can be obtained by emailing [email protected].

The Mayor of Hailsham, Cllr Paul Holbrook commented: "The Town Council is pleased to offer a grant of £400 to Hedgehogs4Hailsham, which does an excellent job providing the public with vital information on how we can protect hedgehogs locally. I look forward to seeing the new website and online resource in the near future."

"Our grant scheme is the main way in which the Town Council provides funding and support to the voluntary sector. Most of the time, voluntary groups and charities survive on the generosity of donations from the public, fundraising and the willingness of volunteers to give up their time."

"Small grants such as these are a valuable addition to this mix and can make a considerable difference to them when planning and funding a worthwhile project."

A full list of recipients of the Community Grants Scheme can be found here.

Due to an underspend in the 2025/26 grants budget, a second round of grant applications will commence later this year whereby the remaining £3,784 (with a starting budget of £16,000) will be shared amongst successful applicants. The new deadline for applications will be announced soon.