Oak and Furrows is facing closure unless major donation support comes from the public to help care for the largest ever number of patients at this time of the year in the 24 years since it was founded. It is a crisis none of the team wants, but with currently 260 (and rising daily) sick and injured animals, resulting in costs soaring to horrendous heights, we have no other alternative than to appeal to the public in the region to help us overcome this challenge and enable us time to secure more funding from as many organisations and lovers of wildlife as possible. If 850 people donated £35 each it would give us time to plan fund raising activities and appeals throughout the months ahead.

The target is to raise £50,000 by February, the interest in Oak and Furrows by so many people and volunteers is really humbling.

The financial problems caused by growing numbers of sick animals began earlier this year; funds to support the increases were kindly donated, but normally the winter is a time of far fewer patients, and less expenditure on food, treatment and overall care are expected.

The number of hedgehogs at this time of has reached unheard levels, at 160 (January 5th) and continues to rise. One of the big reasons for the rising number of hedgehogs is that three other rescue centres in the region have had to close their doors to more because they are full, so people are travelling long distances to bring them to us because our reputation is that we never turn any sick animals away. This in turn of course puts huge pressure on the centre's infrastructure, with the training room about to be turned into a treatment room because we have no other treatment buildings available.

Please donate as much as you can afford.