Keyworth hedgehog highway scheme wins award

A woman who encouraged her neighbours to drill holes in their garden fences to create a "hedgehog highway" has won an award for her work.

Jennifer Manning-Ohren, from Keyworth in Nottinghamshire, saw the group she set up - Wild Things Keyworth - named as Rushcliffe's environmental project of the year.

She said she could barely believe she had won the award.

Rushcliffe Borough Council said the project was a "worthy winner".

Jennifer Manning-Ohren has encouraged dozens of people to drill holes in their fences to help hedgehogs

Ms Manning-Ohren set up the project in July 2020 to get people from across the country to share photographs of natural habitats on social media.

"What became evident was that we were getting more and more hedgehog footage," she said.

After becoming concerned concrete fencing was acting as a barrier to the creatures, she encouraged residents to drill holes in their fences, leading to dozens of little paths between gardens to allow hedgehogs to interact.

"There was one gap we made that was used that same night, within three hours of creating it," she said.

She said the award for the project - at the Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards - was "surreal".

Jennifer said she could not believe her project had struck such a chord

"When I got the announcement I could barely believe it," she said.

"My legs felt weak and it all felt a bit surreal. How had this project of 18 months come so far and struck such a chord with people?"

The council's cabinet portfolio holder for communities and climate change, Abby Brennan, said: "Wild Things Keyworth are such worthy winners... for the incredible way they are preserving and enhancing hedgehog habitats.

"Jennifer and the team promote awareness and action for hedgehog welfare too and improving garden interconnectivity for the animals, so they are rightly being acknowledged for their innovative approach to their wellbeing."