It may not quite amount to a hedge fund, but a Penryn veterinary surgery created their very own hedgehog fund to help out a Mawnan Smith rescue centre. Although hedgehogs are traditionally hibernating during the winter months, there is no time for snoozing on the job for Anne-Marie and Bill Long who run Hedgehog Rescue Cornwall in Calidnack Road.

The couple moved to Mawnan ten years ago, bringing ten hedgehogs with them after originally setting up a rescue centre in Sussex. They are currently looking around 50 of the creatures, although at one point there were over 70 in their care.

To help with their good work Amos and Penny Veterinary practice in Penryn held a Christmas lucky dip for customers that included prizes donated by Asda and raised £100 for the centre.

Kelley Barsby from the practice said: “When we have hedgehogs in the surgery we always phone Hedgehog Rescue, who are very useful. They take them until they are ready to be released.”

She thanked everyone who had donated prizes for the lucky dip and the customers to raised the money by buying tickets.

Mrs Long said a large part of the money would be used to replace the centre’s microwave that had recently broken, which is used to warm up heat pads to place in the incubators for sick hedgehogs. The rest would be used on cat food, which the hedgehogs are fed with.

The couple began looking after hedgehogs “by accident,” after they both worked as volunteers at a Sussex animal hospital and were asked to care for two hedgehogs at home.

Mr and Mrs Long spend their savings on the rescue centre, which is not a registered charity and so relies on donations for additional boosts to finances.

To help fund their aid work, Mrs Long works at Property Search Group in Redruth while her husband works as a milkman at Lillie Brothers dairy on Falmouth’s Tregoniggie Industrial Estate.

Mrs Long said: “This was a lovely surprise and very generous. It was a very thoughtful thing to do and much appreciated.”

To make a donation or just to get some advice on hedgehogs call 01326 251033.