Campaign funding to make Ipswich the most hedgehog friendly town in England has come to an end with a beautiful parade along the Ipswich waterfront.
Since 2016 the Heritage Lottery Fund and British Hedgehog Preservation have funded the project but unfortunately funding came to an end on Saturday, September 1, a day marked with a beautiful parade which began at Holywells Park.
• What can you to help make your home more hedgehog friendly?
Around 150 people took the 2km walk, the average distance a hedgehog travels in a night, from the park down the waterfront to the La Tour Cafe Cycle brandishing their newly made hedgehog lanterns.
Ipswich hedgehog officer Ali North has spent the last two years educating homeowners on the best means to keep Ipswich’s hedgehog populous happy.
She said: “Even though the funding is stopping we still want to make Ipswich the most hedgehog friendly town and we will keep going with that aim.”
Since 2000, Britain’s rural hedgehog population has declined by over 50%, whilst the urban population has been reduced by up to a third between 2000 and 2014.
It was these shocking numbers that prompted Ali’s inital project in association with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT).
Kerry Stranix, communications and funding manager at SWT, said: “There was a great turnout and it was a fitting way to celebrate the end of Ali’s project in Ipswich.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here