Spike in wildlife accommodation as White Horse works with village to provide homes for hedgehogs

 

White Horse Housing Association has been building homes for families in rural areas for 40 years but it’s not often it has provided houses for hedgehogs.

The association teamed up with parish councillor Paul Outridge, children from Chilton Foliat Primary School and families from White Horse’s Field View housing scheme in Chilton Foliat to site the hedgehog homes around the edge of the development.

It was part of a project to make the development more wildlife friendly and included planting shrubs and fruit bushes. White Horse funded the boxes, which were then decorated by the pupils at an after school art club. They also helped put the boxes in place, together with families from Field View.

 Cllr Outridge, who is a member of the village’s wildlife group, said: “We had a little ceremony so the children can see where the boxes have been put. The boxes are designed specifically for hedgehogs and give them somewhere safe for the winter. We put dried leaves in so they can generate some their own heat in there to keep them warm when they hibernate.

“It was good to involve the children from the school and Field View because it helps gives them an understanding and an appreciation of the wildlife around the village.

“White Horse funded the boxes, so it wouldn't have happened without that support. The staff were very encouraging and we wouldn't have been able to do it without their involvement.”

The group aims to increase awareness of wildlife in the area and organises conservation projects, talks and walks along the River Kennet, which flows through the village.

“We want people to appreciate the wildlife we have because we are very fortunate in this area,” said Cllr Outridge, who has been a parish councillor for more than 20 years. “We're hoping to do other things at Field View in the future, like insect boxes, to make it an ongoing project. White Horse have been really enthusiastic and helped us push this forward.”

White Horse Operations Director Belinda Eastland said: “This is a wonderful thing to be doing with the community. It’s a part of our sustainability strategy to create wildlife areas adjacent to our schemes where space permits and it has been really good doing it in Chilton Foliat in partnership with the parish council and wildlife group. We loved getting the children and our residents involved too.”