Powering the Hogspital

Who are we, and what is our project about?

Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue is Cornwall’s largest native hedgehog rehabilitation charity, taking in sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs from throughout Cornwall, and parts of west Devon and Plymouth too, for treatment and release back into the wild.  In 2024 we admitted a record 1,428 animals.

The rescue was founded by mother and daughter duo Diane and Katy in 2010, and incorporated as a charity in 2017.  To meet growing demand we are now constructing a purpose-built hedgehog hospital at Carnanton near Newquay, the "Hogspital".   We expect to relocate to the new site at the start of 2026.

We want to make our new building as efficient, green and resilient as possible.  Therefore we would like to add solar panels and a battery to enable us to generate and store our own renewable energy.  This project will enable us to reduce our carbon footprint, save on energy costs and has the potential to give us a resilient power supply in the event of mains interruption.  This project will add to a number of green features already incorporated into the plans for the new site including rainwater harvesting, a wildlife garden, bat boxes and native hedge boundaries.

Why are we crowdfunding?

The proceeds from this crowdfunder will enable us to purchase a 4.5 kW roof-mounted solar panel array as well as a storage battery.  This is expected to generate around 4,708 kWh of renewable electricity and save approximately 975 kg of carbon emissions each year.  We hope to save around £750 annually on our electricity costs too and have the potential to earn some extra revenue by exporting surplus generation to the grid.

The Hogspital building itself is fully funded and is now under construction.  Adding the solar installation at this stage of the works is the least disruptive and most cost-effective way of achieving our clean energy ambition and will enable our charity to begin to benefit from financial savings straight away.  The project has a planned lifespan of at least 25 years.

The new Hogspital will run entirely on electricity for all its heating, lighting, hot water and other energy needs so this project will have a transformative, environmentally-positive impact.

How we’ll spend the money raised

We have been to the market for quotations and have received a very competitive proposal from a local, MCS-certified installer for a 4.5 kW solar array, inverter and 10.4 kW battery fully installed for a little over £7,000.  The addition of reinforced roof fixings brings our total budget to £8,000.  This competitive cost can only be achieved if the solar installation goes ahead at the same time as the building is being constructed as the installers will be able to utilise the existing site scaffolding which saves significant additional cost.

How you can help

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Make a donation

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too.

2. Spread the word

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.

3. Volunteer with us

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please visit our website www.pricklesandpaws.org/volunteer .