Hedgehogs are now being invited to stay at Boorley Park Primary School – in purpose-built accommodation provided by a local housebuilder.
Vistry Southern, which is building under its Linden Homes and Bovis Homes brands at the nearby Boorley Green location, has donated 10 hedgehog hotels to the school so that it can offer a safe haven for the prickly animals.
The hotels provide a safe, warm place for hedgehogs to sleep, give birth or hibernate.
Sian Ozanne, assistant headteacher at Boorley Park Primary School, said: “We’re very grateful to Vistry for donating the hedgehog hotels to our school.
“The students are very excited about spotting hedgehogs - hopefully with some little hoglets soon! We’re glad to be able to provide them with valuable shelter from predators and the elements.
“We’re making an effort to be an eco-friendly school, so the hotels are beneficial for us. We’re hoping to achieve a Green Flag Award from the Eco-School’s programme to show the community that we are encouraging the students to think about their impact on the environment.”
Vistry Group - which comprises Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Vistry Partnerships – has teamed up with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society in a project aimed at protecting the endangered animals.
Demonstrating its commitment to building sustainably, Vistry Southern have installed a number of wildlife-friendly features within its developments, including bat and bird boxes, and hedgehog highways to let the prickly creatures roam freely from garden to garden.
Lucinda Box, Marketing Manager at Vistry Southern, travelled to the school to hand over the hotels in person. She said: “I’m glad to know that these hedgehog houses will bring joy to the students at Boorley Park Primary School on top of providing shelter for the adorable animals.
“At Vistry, we believe in the importance of keeping the UK’s wildlife safe and thriving. Hedgehogs are a beloved part of Britain’s wildlife but have recently been classified as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ and we are committed to doing all we can to help reverse this decline.”
There’s currently a selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes available to reserve at Linden Homes’ Boorley Park, priced from £334,300, which are due for completion in spring 2023.
For more information, visit lindenhomes.co.uk and bovishomes.co.uk.
