A lifelong passion for wildlife rescue began when Trevor Weeks (MBE) saved his first animal at the age of 13.
His teenage years were spent volunteering for local conservation groups and walking the coast with a collapsible carrier, searching for oiled seabirds to rescue.
Trevor’s first attempt at rescuing a badger, which died after being hit by a car, still haunts him to this day. Even during his early rescue experiences , Trevor knew there was ‘not enough out there for our wildlife’.
Following this realisation – and after receiving a vet bill of more than £1,000 – Trevor was challenged to bring together a group of volunteers who could fundraise and continue rescuing wild animals in East Sussex.
If he achieved this, his vet promised to cut his bill in half.
Six months later, in 1996, East Sussex WRAS was born.
Today, the charity operates out of its hospital in Whitesmith, which is capable of holding about 300 casualties at a time, and has 18 off-site pens dotted around the county for outdoor work and soft releases.
It employs a handful of paid staff and about 170 volunteers who, together, have helped roughly 75,000 animals since the charity opened.
Last year, WRAS faced its busiest year yet and, in an appeal to the public, said its resources were ‘strained to the maximum’.
The huge amount of pressure – caused by an 18 per cent increase in casualties in 2023 and rising costs – means the charity is at risk of having to cut its out-of-hours phone line, which is when staff see the ‘most critical cases’, according to Trevor.
“Everything’s a compromise with what we do, funding-wise,” Trevor said.
"We’re struggling to afford what we’re currently doing. If we can’t bring that extra money in, we’ll have to say sorry but we just can’t afford to continue this.
“We’ve been pushed to stop the out-of-hours, but we don’t want to. I know I’m not going to sleep easily if that happens.”
Not only does Trevor feel the weight of financial pressures facing the charity, but he’s also been mugged, assaulted and hospitalised several times while responding to rescue calls.
As he jokes about wondering ‘how he’s still here’, his passion for animal rescue is obvious – but so is his frustration.
He said: “There are billions of pounds out there for conservation work, be it through government grants, subsidies, and all sorts.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw [grants] we were eligible for, because it’s all community-based.
“People don’t consider what we’re doing as community based, because we’re helping animals.
“I just wish there were more resources, and funding, out there. Not just for us, but for everybody in the rescue industry.
“All of us are struggling on shoestring budgets."
WRAS staff are currently bracing themselves for summer, which is the busiest time of the year for wildlife rescuers. To support the extra staff required throughout this busy period, the charity is aiming to raise an extra £34,000.
Donations can be made by calling 01825 873003, visiting: www.wildlifeambulance.org, or by sending funds to East Sussex WRAS, PO Box 2148, Seaford, BN25 9DE.

1. Take a look behind the scenes at East Sussex WRAS
Vet Clarissa Wu (left) and founder Trevor Weeks (right) tending to a badger injured in a road accident in Bexhill Photo: Staff

2. Take a look behind the scenes at East Sussex WRAS
Clarissa studying the badger's X-ray Photo: Staff

3. Take a look behind the scenes at East Sussex WRAS
Trevor with a hedgehog found 'cold, wet and underweight' in Eastbourne Photo: Staff

4. Take a look behind the scenes at East Sussex WRAS
A fox found trapped in Eastbourne Photo: Staff