Wildlives - Spring 2024

See pages 18-19

Photo: RSPCA | Emma Jacobs

Welcome to the Secret World Wildlife

This has been a very busy time for Secret World with lots of exciting changes.

I am pleased to announce the changes to our opening times: they are now 06.00 – 00.00 (previously they were 08.00 – 20.00). Feeding of orphans and juveniles will now be easier, as staff are now working longer and they will be able to follow more natural feeding patterns for the British wildlife in our care.

We also offer an advice service between the hours of 00.00 and 06.00. This night service is run by our amazing volunteers and without

them it would not be possible; I thank them so much for their continued support.

We have now restructured our Senior Management team and welcome: Laura Bennett, Head of Wildlife Care; Nick Davis, Head of Facilities; and Ali Sawer, Head of Administration. Alongside the existing team, I am confident that we now have a robust team to support and drive Secret World forward.

Rescue Spring Newsletter

Wildlife Care have had to overcome some great challenges, with new staff and the inception of the new opening times, but I am positive that with these changes and our new part-time vet, Felicity Whitehouse, Secret World will go from strength to strength.

Maintenance have been instrumental in some major changes to the site. These include fencing areas and creating pathways, ensuring the infrastructure is in place to future proof the site and ensuring the health and safety of the site, thus making it a safer place for staff, volunteers and members of the public.

Felicity assessing a fox

The new fencing will provide structure and screening

Administration will be able to focus on compliance, training and personnel, to ensure both employees and volunteers at Secret World are trained and supported.

We have a new charity shop which recently opened in Bridgwater and with Mike Still’s vision and our skilled maintenance team the new shop looks amazing. This is a great addition to our portfolio.

We are currently looking at our 10-year Strategy plan to have a clear vision for the future of Secret World. The team at Secret World are excited to be part of the plans and growth of Secret World’s future.

We have also started a ‘Green Team’ and I am looking forward to seeing what ideas the team can come up with to help us become much

Our new Bridgwater shop

more environmentally friendly and sustainable, and to reduce our carbon footprint.

We are not only looking at the small things we can do, but also the bigger picture to lessen our impact on the environment.

I want to thank all of the Secret World employees, volunteers and supporters: you all do an amazing

job, and none of the things we have done or could do would be possible without you. Your dedication, commitment, enthusiasm and support are greatly appreciated.

On behalf of Secret World, I thank you all.

Jackie Palmer Executive Director

Our new opening hours

We’re now here 6am till midnight every day, with a telephone advice line between midnight and 6am.

One number for all hours: 01278 783250

Founder’s Report

So much to do! This winter has probably been the busiest as far as maintenance work around the centre is concerned.

We only have a short window of a few months when we can do work with large machinery. Many of the pens need repairing, including wiring the base of some of the enclosures to stop our badgers digging their way out! Some of the fences have been up for over 20 years and are beginning to show the

stress of competition with wildlife, testing the security. The photo shows you how good badgers are at climbing!

The wet weather hasn’t really helped, and I have never seen our duck pond look so full, so let’s hope that the reservoirs have filled ready for the

A daredevil badger foiled by the overhang on its enclosure

summer. Our maintenance team of Nick and Paul, together with volunteers, have really been stretched with the opening of our last charity shop in Bridgwater and the repairs on site. The quality of their work though means that our new fences and pens will stand the test of time. Their next job is the Millie Block repairs, so there is plenty to do.

year it will be 30 years since Bluebell the badger died. So lovely to have the barn named after her. You will see one of our male peacocks in the photo admiring his reflection in the window. They have just started to call and display with their tails.

It’s great to see the daffodils heralding the spring – although our first one was out in December. The flower bed in front of the Bluebell Barn is a show, and walking past I am reminded that in September of this

Never a "boring" day for Nick and Paul

First blooms of the year outside The Bluebell Barn

From the archive: Pauline and Bluebell

Last autumn new legislation came in affecting veterinary protocols. We had always managed with our local vet for all our work being done but now a vet must see all the animals in their care, so we have had to employ a part-time vet and Secret World has become a veterinary practice. Now that the RSPCA is unable to attend for cases of wildlife the size of a rabbit or hedgehog and smaller, this has been an added pressure on our system. Our staff have been amazing and changed their rotas, so that our reception is now open from 6 am to midnight. It means we can give even more care to our wildlife casualties, although it has meant an increase in our staffing wages.

Our assessment room has undergone a few changes

A lot of work goes into the release of each group of orphans

We welcome Felicity, who has joined as our vet, and we hope eventually to get X-ray facilities and changes within our treatment centre. Felicity has worked with wildlife for many years and will bring, I’m sure, new and exciting ways of helping our wildlife. Jackie, our Executive Director, is working hard to achieve better utilities across the site, with safer working conditions with paths and lighting.

We are no different from many other charities in trying to find enough volunteers but, with an extra drive happening now, we hope we will be ready when the orphan season starts and it gets so busy.

Our wildlife Release Coordinator, Charlotte, is looking for help when aviaries and enclosures have to be erected ready for the release of our orphans in different sites. So, if there’s anyone looking to help on the odd days, who doesn’t mind dirty and physical work, she would love to hear from you. Of course, it may be that you might have a possible release site. You can contact her on 01278 768707 – it’s a great chance to see our casualties having their second chance back in the wild. With so much going on, I feel guilty that I am starting to be less involved! I still love helping out but it’s really great to see the charity moving forward in such a positive way.

ADMISSIONS

Above: Three orphaned wood mice.

Right: A hedgehog with a nose injury.

Below: A brown rat admitted with a stomach wound.

A

Below left: A feral pigeon.

Below: A goldcrest, Britain’s smallest bird.

Bottom: Rabbit kits.

Above: ‘Pop’ the weasel.

Left:

buzzard being examined.

A gift in your Will could give the gift of freedom

Create a lasting legacy and help protect wildlife for future generations.

After you’ve taken care of your loved ones, a gift in your will for Secret World Wildlife Rescue is the perfect way to help wildlife and make sure it’s looked after for years to come. A gift in your will could give the gift of freedom to a sick, injured, or orphaned wild animal and help it get back to the wild.

We’ve teamed up with Bequeathed to offer free, professionally drafted wills to our supporters.

Book your free consultation today, either by phone or online.

See www.secretworld.org/legacy or call us to get started.

“I have been a patron of Secret World Wildlife Rescue for many years and have enjoyed visiting and seeing how much the charity has progressed. It has retained its ethics of best care and every single animal is important to them. Please consider leaving a legacy gift to Secret World, I know it will make such a difference to the animals in their care.”

Valerie Singleton OBE, TV presenter and SWWR patron

If you would like more information about how leaving a gift in your will could help wildlife, please contact us on 01278 783250 or email fundraising@secretworld.org

Conveniently located just off the M5, The Bluebell Barn offers a truly unique and meaningful venue. Events held at The Bluebell Barn leave a lasting and positive legacy, as all profits from the venue hire go towards continuing the work of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing thousands of animals each year through Secret World Wildlife Rescue.

The Bluebell Barn

Weddings

Whether it be a small and intimate occasion or a full ceremony and reception, the Bluebell Barn is sure to provide a most memorable setting.

Family Celebrations

Where better to celebrate with your friends and family than the lovely, natural surroundings of Secret World Wildlife Rescue’s turn-of-the-century Bluebell Barn?

Wakes

Remember and celebrate the life of a loved one in the Somerset countryside, all while leaving a lasting gift to British wildlife.

Meetings, training, classes and workshops

The Bluebell Barn is a multifunctional flexible space. The room can be laid out to suit your needs – whether for a lecture style set-up or a practical workshop.

To know more, contact us at events@secretworld.org or call us on 01278

768703

Charity shop update

With Christmas now a dim and distant memory, our thoughts turn to Spring and the year ahead. We have had a busy time here in Retail and as the seasons change, so do our shops…

Back in November we closed our Burnham shop for a few days so it could undergo a bit of a refit. Our retail and maintenance teams did an amazing job fitting out the shop. With the shiny new fascia, new store layout and new fixtures, what a transformation! We have had some lovely feedback from you, our customers, so if you haven’t seen it, I’d urge you to pay a visit. It’s our busiest shop, so Steve and the team are always looking for help from volunteers; if you fancy volunteering and joining our team working alongside some of our long-serving volunteers like Brenda and Rose, please pop in and have a chat with Steve.

Unfortunately, we said goodbye to Jane, our manager at Glastonbury. Jane has been with us from the start and had helped us create the little gem of a shop you see today. We wish Jane well in setting up her new business and look forward to selling some of her marvellous creations. We welcome Adele and a team of volunteers who join Elly, Skye, Sharon and Wendy, who have done an amazing job keeping us up and running; thank you.

Our little ‘secret’ shop, hidden away at the top of the High Street, is a real little treasure trove; if you have not been it’s worth the walk to the top of town!

Our shop at Langport is continuing to develop and, under the guidance of Tineke, Rose and Nicki, is going from strength to strength. Post Christmas the store has undergone a bit of a refresh, with a few changes to the layout. Thanks to the good people of Langport we continue to be given some amazing stuff to sell; however, the more we sell, the more we need! So, if you are having a spring clean and a sort out we’d be delighted to accept your donated goods! Our volunteers at Langport have been amazing; Patsy, Liz and Lou have been with us since we opened back in the Autumn of 2022. We are always looking for help, so if you have some free time and would like to join our friendly team please pop in for a chat.

Our newest shop, located at 13 Fore Street in Bridgwater, began trading at the end of last summer. Jo has recently taken on managing the store full time and, with it being our largest store to date, Jo is supported by Jane, Paula and a host of volunteers. These include: Steph, who you will often find on the till taking your money; Collete, who loves nothing more than keeping the store looking amazing; Katie, who enjoys sorting, organising and keeping the shop filled up; and Carole, who you’ll find happily steaming all the clothes before they reach the sales floor. We are very fortunate in having such a fantastic group of volunteers.

Our retail hub at Unit J5 Oaktree Business Park in Highbridge has become invaluable to the operation of keeping the shops filled and supported. Our small team of volunteers help sort the many donated items that you so generously give us, recycle anything that hasn’t sold and pack items ready to go to the shops. Our volunteer drivers, Mark, Ben and Dom, take the van out to deliver and pick up from the shops. Located off the Bristol Road, we are usually open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, when we will be delighted to accept your donated items. Please call us first though on 01278 574903 to make sure someone will be there.

Once again, can I just say a massive thank you to you for your support, your generous donations and continued patronage of our shops. Thank you.

Mike (Head of Retail)

An unexpected beaver encounter

When you’ve worked in British wildlife rehabilitation for a while you start to see patterns emerging: in February you know there will soon be fox and badger cubs making their way through the door; then comes the rush of baby birds needing hourly feeds in the spring; summer is always a mad rush; and before you know it autumn is approaching, and we are overrun with hedgehogs.

There are some species that do not fit this pattern, however. Otters are one of them - they can breed at any point throughout the year and are naturally elusive. We may see one or two of them in a year at Secret World, so when we received a call about an otter in trouble back in October we sprang into action!

The “otter” was trapped in an overflow drain. We sent our Wildlife Care Assistant Matt in our wildlife ambulance and within the hour he had located the animal in question. However, much to our surprise, the otter in need had a flatter tail and much larger teeth. It was in fact not one but two beavers!

Beavers are the largest rodent found here in the UK and in recent years have been released into the wild as part of reintroduction programmes.

The beavers were trapped in an overflow drain that was filled to around a metre’s depth of dirty water. It was important to get them out as quickly as possible, as they were at risk of drowning if left in the storm drain.

One of the beavers appeared much weaker than the other, so it is likely it had been trapped in the drain for a longer period. Matt noted how heavy the beavers were: “They are certainly bigger than you expect and really quite heavy, weighing in at about 15kg each”.

After rescuing them and placing them into secure metal cages for transportation, Matt drove the beavers (suspected to be last year’s young) to RSPCA West Hatch in Somerset. We work closely with other centres to ensure that wildlife receives the best possible care. The RSPCA centre had experience working with beavers in the past, so were best placed to look after them in this situation.

The beavers were settled down into a pen with a pool and received ongoing rehabilitation at West Hatch for just over a month. Imagine how much willow they munched their way through in that time! We are so pleased that the beavers are now back in nature, carrying out their usual beaver business.

Photo: RSPCA | Emma Jacobs

Photo: RSPCA | Emma Jacobs

Photo: RSPCA | Emma Jacobs

EDUCATION

Providing education to the wider public has been and always will be one of Secret World’s main charitable aims. We do this through a variety of events, sessions and courses throughout the year.

In February we hosted our 5th annual ‘Caring for British Wildlife Conference’ at East Huntspill village hall. The event was a great success, with around 100 delegates joining us over the weekend to learn about wildlife rehabilitation, welfare and conservation. Some of our favourite talks included hearing about the work carried out by the RSPCA in wildlife crime cases and learning about the reintroduction of beavers in the UK. If you missed out this year, don’t worry we’ll be back next year with another star line up. Can’t wait until next year? Why not book a ticket for our May ‘Wild Weekend’? We’ve got a fantastic range of conservation-focussed talks throughout the weekend.

Secret World’s online wildlife courses are proving as popular as ever, offering a chance to interact directly with our wildlife carers and learn about different species of British wildlife and how we care for them in a rehabilitation setting. If you would like to learn more, please take a look at our website for dates of the next courses.

Our Learning and Engagement Officer George is busy taking bookings for 2024. Did you know that we will travel to your school and provide curriculum-linked workshops to suit a variety of topics that you may be covering? Looking for an interesting and different trip for the summer term? Why not come and join us at Secret World; we have nature walks, bat detectors, moth trapping and much much more on offer for your class.

Are you trying to find a different activity for your community group, scout or guiding unit? Why not book one of our sessions; we can come out to your group and talk about the work we do and share some of our wonderful animal stories. For more information take a look at our website or send us an email:

Learning@secretworld.org.

VALIANT VOLUNTEERS

Geoff Simons

Geoff has been volunteering with us for the last 4 years and, incredibly, he volunteers for 3 days every week! He is always cheerful and happy to help wherever he is needed. Geoff likes to have a variety of experiences and so you can find him in the hospital treatment rooms, helping with fundraising events, releasing animals ready to return to the wild or regularly jumping in the ambulance to rescue wildlife for us. He is very much a part of the team here and we are hugely appreciative of his commitment, energy and efforts.

Charlotte Darton

Charlotte is a student placement volunteer, volunteering full time for the last 7 months; thankfully for us, she will stay for a further 5 months to complete her placement hours of work experience. She has become a key volunteer, working each day on various sections and has been able to apply her hard-working hands to anything the wildlife care team have asked. During the busier times, she has gained valuable skills caring for hedgehogs, rabbits and various bird

species in our hospital rooms and, in our quieter season, she has been a huge support to the team in carrying out winter maintenance, deep cleaning all of our hospital pens and outdoor enclosures. Charlotte has also been able to help with rescuing wildlife, such as an injured deer that she attended with our Release Coordinator. It has been great having her here, supporting the staff and always being so willing and keen to help with any job.

Rob Chitty

Rob joined us 4 months ago and he very kindly volunteers for 2 days per week. He enjoys working with the hedgehogs in the treatment rooms for one of the days and then also does another shift each week helping to sort and organise donations at our retail depot in Highbridge. This job is hard work, pretty relentless, and requires a good eye for sorting. In both departments he is always a reliable and hard-working volunteer.

We always appreciate our volunteer team and the effort they put in for us.

Nikki Mackie

Nikki joined us 4 months ago and jumped straight into any and every request for support that we asked for. Within just a few weeks we found ourselves relying on her help across many departments. Nikki has a science background and so has picked up the animal care roles quickly and competently. Despite having a busy life, she will still always try to find time to help us with fundraising events, such as joining us for last year’s carnival collection and helping to clear up the morning after our big Annual Ball.

Matt Diaper

Matt has been volunteering with us for the past 18 months and is a star when it comes to helping us with the mountains of laundry that we continually need to process. He’ll often pop in and blitz through some washing when he can find some free time to give to us. He’s also been known to jump on to animal care during the busy season when he can see help is needed there! He recently convinced his partner to sign up as a volunteer for us as well.

Lucy Marsh

Lucy is a returning member of the team, having started a new role on reception only 2 months ago, but she has already shown herself to be a huge support to the reception team. There is a lot to learn when working on reception; it’s no easy task and she has taken to it so confidently.

Fantastic friends!

Amazon donated an incredible £3,942 to support some educational workshops and the purchase of veterinary equipment.Thank you very much to Louise, an Amazon employee who nominated us for this donation.

The Music Royalty Company’s animal-mad team selected Secret World for a donation of £500. Every year their CEO, Ali, suggests a few charities to choose from and we’re very grateful they picked us.

A very special donation of £1,000 from Savile Lloyd. Henry, one of their employees, nominated us for the gift as our “Millie Block” rehab unit was named in memory of his sister. The money will go towards refurbishment of the building.

Bakkavor Desserts in Highbridge raised £686.19 with a hot dog sale and Halloween raffle. The company’s head office doubled the donation after a successful application to their Matched Giving Scheme!

The talented Ferne Creative is donating 20% of the profit from sales of their enamel hedgehog pins. They sent us an amazing £200 donation just before Christmas. Pins are still available at fernecreative.com

We’re delighted to be the Association of Animal Artists 2024 Charity of the Year, as chosen by their members. They have a few fundraising exhibitions and events planned and we can’t wait to work with them.

Thank you to Bridgwater Carnival for allowing us to join their collections team. All that spare change on the night came to £277.31 for Secret World, with activities around the event raising almost £35,000 for local charities in 2023.

A supporter named Harold Pohl is a teacher in Germany. After he mentioned us, class 7A at SteigerwaldLandschulheim secondary school raised £150 to buy a fox adoption.

Well done Sharon Halstead, who raised £50 for wildlife by shaving her head!

Thank you to everyone who set up Facebook Birthday Fundraisers in 2023. We received a whopping £2,800 last year because you asked your friends and family to donate in lieu of gifts.

A huge thank you to Animal Saviours, who gave a grant of £4,000 to support our education workshops (see back page for details.) If you’re interested in the experience of a lifetime helping with wildlife conservation in Africa, see www.animalsaviours.org to read about the trips they’re organising.

Close to 50 people braved the cold for our New Year’s Day Dip at Clevedon Marine Lake, raising a cool £965 between them.

Second Chances

Meadow, the Ilminster Fox

Back in November we got a call from a concerned member of the public regarding a poorly fox that was seen walking through a residential estate.

She was seen wandering from garden to garden with what looked like an injured leg. We got one of our Wildlife carers, Liz, to go out and try to get the fox and bring her back to the treatment centre so that we could assess her wounds and give her a much-needed check-over.

When Liz arrived at the scene, the fox was in a bit of a precarious position on the bank of a ravine. She was curled up on a nest of twigs, sticks and very sharp prickles. By the time Liz got there, “Meadow“ was exhausted and didn’t put up much of a fight. She was netted easily and transferred into a cage. She got taken first to Quantock Veterinary Hospital and, after being seen by the vet there, she was brought back to Secret World.

Five baby wood mice

On the first of January we had a lovely surprise admission to start off the New Year!

Five baby wood mice were brought to us after being found in a box in someone’s garage.

They were found in a TV box whilst the member of the public was cleaning. Sadly, they had not been able to reunite the babies with their mother, so they phoned us. When the babies arrived with us it was clear that their mum had been doing a great job at rearing them, as they were in great body condition.

On arrival the five babies were estimated to be about 12 days old. They were hand-reared at first, being fed every 3 hours. Once their eyes opened the weaning process began; they took to this almost immediately as they all tucked into solid food.

Once they became fully independent, they were placed in a nice big tank with plenty of natural enrichment. This stage allows them to climb, hide and forage for their food. After four weeks in our care, we were so pleased to release them back to the wild.

Eyes just opened

Asleep in their nest

Feeding themselves

GO WILD

We’re looking for Wildlife Heroes to take on a challenge in 2024 and raise money for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.

SKYDIVE AND WINGWALK CHALLENGE DAY

Skydive Buzz, Honiton, 11th May

Take to the skies for one of these high-octane challenges, or try both if you’re brave enough! Enjoy a thrilling 15,000ft skydive with 60 seconds of freefall, or a wild 10-minute ride on top of a biplane reaching 130mph.

IN 2024

BURNHAM TO BREAN BEACH WALK

Burnham-on-Sea, 9th June

Join us for a walk on the beach with distances for all ages and abilities. Starting at The Ritz in Burnham, walk to Burnham Low Lighthouse, to Berrow or to Brean and back.

SNOWDON TREK

Mount Snowdon, 22nd June

Take on Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) and be rewarded with an epic view from the summit of Wales’s highest mountain. Organised by Elite Adventures; various registration options available.

TOUGH MUDDER SOUTH WEST

Badminton Estate, 10th August

The ultimate assault course. Can you conquer over 20 obstacles spread out over 10 miles? Join our team of muddy fundraisers and help each other across the finish line.

Registration is essential for all these challenges. Please see our website events.secretworld.org or email fundraising@secretworld.org for more details.

Love wildlife? Adopt!

Adopt an animal and help give sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife a second chance at life in the wild.

Our wildlife adoptions are a great way to help wildlife, and with five animals to choose from they make great gifts for animal lovers.

Each adoption pack contains:

• A cuddly toy

• An animal factsheet

• A photo card

• A certificate of adoption

• Newsletter updates

All this from just £3 per month, or £36 for a whole year.

Choose from badger, fox, deer, hedgehog or owl.

Go to www.secretworld.org/adoptions to adopt an animal today.

Passionate about wildlife?

Become a Friend of Secret World and join us in our mission to protect British wildlife

We all need a friend from time to time, and the best relationships work when you get a little something back for your support.

Friends of Secret World help give sick, injured and orphaned wildlife a second chance at life in the wild, with a monthly gift.

As well as the satisfaction you get from helping wildlife, you’ll receive regular updates and perks as our way of saying thank you.

A Friend of Secret World is a friend of wildlife. From just £3 a month you can become a Friend and make a difference.

There are 4 tiers to choose from:

BRONZE: FROM £3 A MONTH

Includes welcome pack, 2 newsletters a year, and 10% off events and purchases in the gift shop.

SILVER: FROM £15 A MONTH

All the above, plus Friends pin badge, signed copy of A Place of Safety, and Christmas card.

GOLD: FROM £50 A MONTH

All the above, plus an annual tour of the centre and 15% off events and purchases in the gift shop.

FOUNDER’S FRIEND:

FROM £100 A MONTH

All the above, plus fridge magnet, inscribed brick on Jubilee Pathway, invitation to exclusive events, and an opportunity to name one of our orphaned animals.

OUR WORK IN 2023

Total admissions:

4,014

New charity shops opened:

1

Rescues attended by SWRDs:

2,257

Most seen species: Hedgehogs, 734 admissions

Categories:

Mammals - 1,498

Birds - 2,495

Amphibians/ other - 21

EDUCATION

Schools and groups we worked with:

36

Busiest month: June, 764 admissions

Enquiries dealt with by Reception:

12,629 Volunteer hours:

15,703

Adult learners:

436

Children visiting our site:

278

Open weekend visitors:

1,181 adults

747 children, Total:

1,928

term

Secret World Events & Courses FREE hedgehog house building workshops for kids Coming halfOctoberin

Kindly funded by our friends at Animal Saviours and Amazon

EVENTS IN 2024

30th March

Secret World’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’

3rd June Pub quiz at Ritz Social Club

10th August Tough Mudder South West fundraising challenge

COURSES IN 2024

16th March Wildlife Course 3

5th-7th August Working with Wildlife (14-19yr olds)

12th October Wildlife Course 2

16th November Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation of Foxes

01278

11th May Skydive fundraising challenge

9th June Burnham to Brean Beach Walk

23rd November

Auction and Ball at the Webbington Hotel

6th April Wildlife Course 4

7th September Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation of Badgers

19th October

Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation of Hedgehogs

1st December Wildlife Course 4

783250

info@secretworld.org

facebook.com/secretworldwildlife

@secretworldwildliferescue

www.secretworld.org

Limited to 75 places, tickets available from 1st March at events.secretworld.org

24th-27th May

Secret World’s ‘Wild Weekend’

22nd June Snowdon Trek fundraising challenge

28th April

Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release Practical Course

14th September Wildlife Course 1

2nd November Wildlife Course 3

7th December

Rescue, Care and Rehabilitation of Garden Birds

Secret World Wildlife Rescue, New Road, East Huntspill, Highbridge TA9 3PZ.

A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales: Company number 4672215, Charity number 1097119.