Hog Hotels making a new home at nature reserve

Hedgehogs at a Wigan Borough nature reserve will have cosy surroundings this winter thanks to a nifty environmental project.

Wigan Council staff teamed up with students from Newbridge School and the Friends of Low Hall group to build six Hog Hotels.

They will sit alongside new Bug Hotel at Low Hall in Platt Bridge to help protect natural habitats.

Councillor Paul Prescott, cabinet portfolio holder for environment, said: “This is a great project, enabling local students to get hands-on and build something that helps wildlife just down the road from their school.

“Through our volunteer days scheme, we encourage council staff to get out and about across the borough, using their skills to help on small but really beneficial projects for our schools, parks, and communities.

“We hope this is just the start of a great relationship between Newbridge, the Friends of Low Hall and the Council.”

The students visited Low Hall and worked with some of the Friends group there to find the best places for their Hog Hotels, and install them with lots of straw to make a comfy home for the winter.

Joanne from the Friends of Low Hall Nature Reserve, said: “This project was an ideal opportunity for us to promote Low Hall and spread the word about how we can all support our hedgehog population here in the borough.

“Working with others and creating links with our community is always at the heart of what we do as volunteers and we are very grateful to Wigan Council and the team at Newbridge School for supporting us with this project.

“The children certainly taught us a thing or two in the classroom and having them join us at Low Hall to site their hog boxes reinforced the importance of what they had achieved, they really did appreciate the difference they had made. A big thank you from us and the hedgehogs to everyone involved.”

Paul Appleton, headteacher at Newbridge School, said: “As part of our drive on personal development for our pupils, we are fully committed to reaching out to local businesses and charities in order to give back to the community.

“Working closely in partnership with the local council and Friends of the Low Hall Nature reserve our pupils have had a real-life opportunity to use their design technology skills beyond the classroom and give something back to their local community.

“I hope these experiences will help our pupils build the ‘can-do’ attitude they will need in adulthood in order to be active citizens who make a positive contribution to the community in both their work and personal lives. Newbridge is looking forward to further projects and opportunities during the year.”