Have you got a hedgehog-sized hole in your garden fence or wall? Get creative with us this Hedgehog Awareness Week and design a garden entry point that hedgehogs won’t be able to ignore!

East Anglian Daily Times: Suffolk Wildlife Trust is looking for people to get creative during Hedgehog Awareness Week. Picture: SIMON PARKERSuffolk Wildlife Trust is looking for people to get creative during Hedgehog Awareness Week. Picture: SIMON PARKER

Hedgehogs are undergoing concerning declines across the UK, with over half of our rural populations lost in the past two decades.

Our urban populations have declined by up to a third since the year 2000, but the decline in our towns and cities may be slowing.

This suggests that the actions that communities are taking for hedgehogs is making a real difference.

But we can’t stop now! The more action we take now, the better chance these creatures have at a certain future.

East Anglian Daily Times: An event is being held at La Tour Cycle Cafe to encourage people to make hedgehog friendly entrances. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNAn event is being held at La Tour Cycle Cafe to encourage people to make hedgehog friendly entrances. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN

Every year, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society runs Hedgehog Awareness Week - dedicated to raising awareness about the threats hedgehogs face and the easy actions everyone can take to help them.

This year the week runs from May 5 to 11 and in Ipswich we’re running a competition – who has the most elaborate hedgehog entrance to their garden?

Hedgehogs travel around 2km in a night, making access to many gardens critical.

A CD-case sized hole or gap under a gate will do the trick, but why not make it extra welcoming?

Come along to La Tour Cycle Café on Monday, May 6 between 1pm and 3pm to design and create a hedgehog-sized door frame to sit around your hedgehog fence hole – the perfect activity for families or creative individuals.

Materials will be limited so book your free space by heading to our website.

If you want to take part but aren’t able to make it to the event, submit photos of your decorated Hedgehog Highway via twitter (@ipswichhogs), Facebook (Suffolk Wildlife Trust in Ipswich) Instagram (@swtipswich) or email hedgehogs@suffolkwildlifetrust.org by Saturday, May 11.

Hedgehog Awareness Week will also provide the chance to learn more about hedgehogs and head out at night on a ‘torchlight tour’ in search of these enigmatic creatures.

We’ll be exploring the People’s Community Garden at Maidenhall Allotments by torchlight on Wednesday, May 8. Book your space on our Hedgehog Awareness Week events by heading to the what’s on section of our website.