🦔Sign up to Hedgehog Friendly Deal 🦔

Published: 26 March 2025

Deal Town Council is offering local residents the chance to take home a free hedgehog friendly gravel board to help our Erinaceus europaeus thrive.

There are 100 boards, one per household, to be claimed and by creating a hedgehog friendly town we will create a better habitat for nature. The gravel board has a hole at the bottom to allow hedgehogs through and is the section of fencing that slots beneath your fence panel.

Since 2002, hedgehog numbers across the UK have declined by more than 30%, and number fewer than a million. Not only are they an iconic British species, as insectivores they help keep our gardens healthy, balancing insect populations that would otherwise damage agricultural crops and garden plants.

Environment Committee Clerk, Laura Marney said: “Following decades of decline, the recent State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report shows numbers have stabilised and this is down to the actions we’re each taking in our own homes.

“By allowing these very active and adventurous mammals better access to roam freely it gives them a greater opportunity to thrive and increase in number.

“This is a great opportunity for us all to do our bit to help protect and support hedgehogs so sign up for yours today!”

To get involved, please complete the form below – the campaign will close once 100 boards have been requested. You will be notified if you are eligible to take part and once you have collected and installed your hedgehog friendly gravel board you will need to register the new hole here at Big Hedgehog Map.

You can learn more about the Hedgehog Street campaign here, how to create a hedgehog friendly garden here and the Wildlife Trust gives instructions to make a hedgehog hole here.