Salford awarded Gold accreditation in Hedgehog Friendly Campus scheme

Funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), the national campaign provides a framework that supports universities, colleges, students' unions and primary schools to create positive change for hedgehogs and other wildlife on their campus and enables staff and students to recognise their own impacts on nature. Since its launch in 2019, HFC has involved over 1,000 volunteers in 250 institutions across the UK; nearly 5,000 hedgehog-friendly actions have been completed, providing over 3,000 students with learning and development opportunities.

The HFC team at the University of Salford have been working hard to achieve Gold accreditation after being awarded Silver in January 2022. By completing a list of 30 actions; the team has succeeded in reaching this next major milestone. These included: running hedgehog surveys and awareness campaigns, hosting a Hedgehog Coffee Morning where they raised over £50 for BHPS, working with the local community to litter pick, as well as setting up hedgehog houses and a litter picking hub on campus.

The submission received excellent feedback, with the judges calling it "a strong and varied Gold application" and highlighting the "activities around staff, student and community engagement, particularly the litter picking hub which had a strong legacy aspect to it."

Marta Strzelecka, Sustainability Engagement Officer and Hedgehog Champion at the University, said: "I am thrilled that The University of Salford is now officially a Gold Accredited Hedgehog Friendly Campus! It's a huge step towards creating a safe habitat for wildlife on our campus. 

“A massive thank you to all our dedicated student and colleague volunteers for their hard work and support - this would not be possible without you. We are now looking for more volunteers to join us as we work towards the Platinum award, so please get in touch if you're interested."

If you would like to get involved and help the team reach Platinum accreditation, please get in touch.