HEDGEHOGS - A PRICKLY SUBJECT

In 2011, District Councillors were given a £4,000 ward budget to spend on good causes within their own particular wards.

To date, my ward has given money to clubs, church repairs, road traffic safety issues and many, many more good causes covering the six ward villages.

There are several other good causes in the pipeline being considered and I will still have money left over for these.  If I don't spent the money I will lose it.  In April 2012, we will get another ward budget but this time amounting to £5,000.  

Last winter, I had two hedgehogs in my garden - one was very underweight so we took him to Mrs Rachel Donaghue in Spalding to care for him and to fatten him up over the winter. Last winter, Rachel cared for over 100 sick and injured hedgehogs.  In spring this year my hedgehog was collected and he was returned to my garden to get busy doing what hedgehogs do.

Since that time, I was made aware that the Skegness Charity that supported sick and injured hedgehogs had ceased to exist and the funding ran out for Mrs Donaghue and this year there will be no support for South Holland's sick and injured hedgehogs.

I then thought about this long and hard and decided to give £500 of my ward budget to Alders Veterinary Surgery, Bourne Road, Spalding.  This money will be put into a separate account for the treatment of ill and injured hedgehogs.

Shortly after this, my idea came into the public domain and I found myself being criticised by Moulton Parish Council because I intended to spend some of my ward budget on wild animals not people.  Because the funding for this had ceased I thought it only right and proper to look after South Holland's hedgehogs in this way.

But since not all tax payers think the same as me, I have decided to withhold submitting the paperwork because I am a public servant, using public money and I won't do anything until I know how people feel about it.

If you could please voice your opinion in respect of my idea I will follow public opinion in this matter.