New home for wildlife rescuers as demand surges

A woman with blonde hair wears glasses and a green uniform as she sits on a dark wooden bench in a park. She is holding a disposable coffee cup and looking at two white swans and a mallard duck, which are standing on the pavement in front of her. There is a small rock wall and three cars parked in the distance.Michaela Jackson

Trustee Michaela Jackson says the rescue centre has run out of space

Naj Modak
East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

A wildlife rescue centre is preparing to move to a bigger home because of "unprecedented demand" for its services.

Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue said it had "grown too large" for its centre in the town after admissions rose by a fifth over the past year.

It has now agreed to lease the Floral Hall, at the People's Park in Grimsby, from North East Lincolnshire Council.

A spokesperson for the council said: "We're thrilled to see this wonderful asset being used by such an important organisation and wish them all the best going forward."

CWR rescues and rehabilitates a range of wildlife, from small birds to foxes, badgers and even an escaped emu.

But Michaela Jackson, a trustee and volunteer, said it had been forced to close its doors several times this year due a lack of space.

"If we had a fox in, we couldn't have another fox, or we couldn't have a badger or swan, because we just didn't have the premises," she added.

The interior of a large glass house. It has a glass-panelled roof and walls, upheld by a black complex steel structure. The glass panels look dirty. Most of the floor is covered with sand, but a raised area of wooden decking stands to the left, surrounded by a rainbow-coloured wooden fence.Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue

Parts of the new venue will be open to visitors, including the tropical glass house

The centre has eight isolation bays and four large recovery bays for animals, but hopes to triple this capacity at the Floral Hall.

Ms Jackson said the new home had more space and an aviary, giving the group an opportunity to extend its range of species and rehabilitate more and larger animals, including deer.

Under the plans, parts of the new venue will be open to visitors, including a tropical aviary and glass house, following restoration work.

"We're cleaning down Floral Hall, because it's not been in use for about three or four years," she said.

A large aviary, surrounded by wire netting from floor to ceiling. The space looks neglected, with weeds growing between concrete floor slabs. An orange-coloured gate leads into the aviary. Trees can be seen outside in the background.Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue

The Floral Hall includes an aviary

The centre is temporary closed for new admissions while it prepares for the move.

It is hoped it will reopen to the public in January.

The volunteer-led organisation relies on public donations and is trying to raise £10,000 to pay for the renovation.

It is also looking for tradespeople to volunteer to help.

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