Wildlife hospital in the Harborough distict that has saved thousands of birds and animals is now looking for help to save itself from closure

A top Harborough wildlife haven is firing out a desperate SoS urging people – please save us from closure.

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth has rescued and saved thousands of birds and animals since being set up 36 years ago.

But now the fantastic animal refuge urgently needs saving itself as the coronavirus lockdown threatens to shut its doors for good.

Grim Angie Downham, who launched the iconic wildlife hospital in 1984, warned the Harborough Mail: “This is the biggest, most devastating crisis we have ever faced.

“The coronavirus pandemic could take us down.

“So I am appealing to everybody out there through the Harborough Mail to get behind us and support us as much as you can.”

Angie added: “This is simple – we need to you to keep us alive.

“Please do what ever you can to keep our brilliant hospital afloat during this terrible time for all of us.”

Angie’s labour of love and legacy of almost four decades of hard work and bloody-minded dedication is perched on a stunning patch of nature on the edge of Kibworth.

And the high-profile wildlife lover said her incredible hard-core team is battling night and day to look after their ‘patients’.

“This pandemic has hit us so hard because we usually have about 10 volunteers coming in every day to keep us going,” said Angie, of Kibworth.

“But we have had to let them all go under the lockdown.

“So we are relying on our three full and part-time staff doing everything.

“I want to salute Harriet Childs, Amy Ducker and Sammy Parsons.

“They are coming in seven days a week to care for all our animals and birds.

“Not one of the three has had a single day off since the lockdown was imposed last month.

“I can’t praise Harriet, Amy and Sammy highly enough for their amazing dedication, devotion and sheer hard work.

“I’m going up as well almost every day to help out.

“But we wouldn’t survive without Harriet, Amy and Sammy – they are the beating heart of our hospital.”

The wildlife angel of mercy said they are currently looking after and treating almost 300 hedgehogs and 15 swans as well as baby birds, rabbits, a badger, fox cubs, buzzards and tawny owls and barn owls.

“We are very busy.

“Luckily, a lot of our hedgehogs can go out now so they are not using up precious newspaper indoors.

“We still have quite a stockpile of newspapers from our last public appeal.

“And we are still getting food and supplies delivered by Welland Valley Feeds in Market Harborough – so we are grateful to them.

“We have locked our gates to stop people coming on to the site here to keep us all safe.

“So if you would like to help then please buy bird seeds and food at Welland Valley Feeds and ask them to deliver it to us.”

Angie said they are facing financial meltdown because their funding has ground to a dead stop during the Covid-19 outbreak.

“We’d make about £600 in an average week.

“We generate money from all sorts of activities, competitions and events such as coffee mornings, cake sales, raffles and even barn dances.

“That’s obviously just come to a total halt.

“But we still have to pay our bills.

“Electricity costs us £500-a-month, waste disposal £1,500-a-month, vets’ bills about £500-a-month and food about £1,000-a-month.

“That’s a lot of cash to fork out month in month out.

“It’s even more devastating because we do most of our fundraising now in the spring,” she said.

“At the moment we have enough reserves to pay our bills until September.

“But no one knows how long this crisis is going to last.

“And it’s going to take us all a fair while to get back to normal and pick up where we left off.”

Angie said they won’t be able to claim emergency Government funding backing charities either.

“We won’t qualify because we are an animal charity rather than a vital human charity.

“I understand that – there’s only so much money to go round,” she admitted.

“But it’s still a bitter pill to swallow.

“We take in injured birds, hedgehogs, deer, rabbits and foxes and all sorts of other sick creatures from all over the East Midlands and beyond.

“We regularly take in patients from vets from as far away as Nottingham, Derby and Lincolnshire – not just from Harborough and Leicestershire.

“We keep these animals alive and give them a chance – or they’d probably be put to sleep.

“There are just not enough wildlife hospitals like ours because they are expensive and difficult to run.

“And that makes it even more critical that we keep our beautiful hospital on Fleckney Road up and running for many more years yet.”

Angie said they had also halted work on a new classroom at their wildlife medical centre.

“It’s three quarters finished but we’ll have to put it on hold for the moment.

“As well as our normal wildlife welfare work we also have schoolchildren come here to see what we do.

“And we offer volunteering opportunities to college and veterinary students so we are an all-round crucial resource,” she stressed.

“We are encouraging our supporters to get sponsored to take up the 2.6 Challenge to help us while you can also donate through the usual channels.”

If you would like to step up to support Angie and her dedicated team at this tough time then please visit Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital’s website at: http://www.leicesterwildlifehospital.org/helping-us/You can also find out more about the hospital, a shining beacon for injured and sick local wildlife, on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/leicestershire.wildlife.hospital/...