To celebrate National Hedgehog Awareness Week, (3rd to 9th May 2026), Sustaining Dunbar’s ‘Pledgehog Project’ have announced that they will be putting out 20 hedgehog houses around Dunbar to provide more safe nesting places for hedgehogs. Now that the weather is warming up, hedgehogs will now be out of hibernation and focusing on building up their strength and meeting a mate to reproduce.
These houses will be built by volunteers at the Dunbar Community Shed thanks to the funding of £800 from BeGreen Dunbar (CWP Energy).
Anouska Woods, BeGreen Community Co-ordinator said, ‘We are delighted to be helping Sustaining Dunbar’s Pledgehog Project again this year and it’s also brilliant for it to be in conjunction with the Dunbar Community Shed, who we also have a great relationship with. It’s nice for us all to come together on such a fantastic project that’s supporting so many different elements’.
Jen Walker, Pledgehog Officer points out, ‘Many hedgehog houses that you can buy in the shops are unfortunately not suitable for hedgehogs to nest in. They don’t provide adequate protection from the elements and there’s not enough space inside for a family of young hoglets to grow. The volunteers at the Dunbar Community Shed have designed them to be sturdy, weatherproof and have a large nesting chamber with an internal baffle to deter predators. I would like to thank BeGreen Dunbar for their generous funding and for the volunteers at the Dunbar Community Shed for all the work they have put into designing and building these houses.’
Bob Fleet, volunteer at the Dunbar Community Shed said, ‘It’s been great making the hedgehog houses and fantastic to make them more eco-friendly by recycling pallets to build them. Hopefully they’ll get occupants and help our local hedgehogs. Everyone should have one.’
Jen continues, ’If you do get a hedgehog house for your garden, then it’s important to find an ideal spot to position it. They need to be in the shade all year-round to avoid overheating in the summer or being too warm to hibernate in the winter, so under an evergreen bush or behind a shed can be ideal. It’s also good for the entrance to face into a wall or fence to reduce cold winter winds whistling in. Try to find a place that’s undisturbed and resist the urge to look inside. You don’t have to clean out hedgehog houses, but if you do, you need to be completely sure there are no lodgers inside. Pop a light twig in the entrance, and if it doesn’t move after a week or so, then you can be pretty sure it’s empty. If you don’t have lots of leaves around (or to give them a helping hand), then the best material that you can fill the house with is dust extracted barley straw. Leaving lots of medium-sized leaves around for them to add to the house is even better.’
If you would like to buy a hedgehog house made by the Dunbar Community Shed, please email the team on info@dunbarshed.org.uk. The aim of the Shed is to promote good health and wellbeing in the local community by providing a safe secure area where people can meet, share skills and combat loneliness.
National Hedgehog Awareness Week, organised by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), is an annual event aimed at raising awareness of the declining hedgehog population in the UK and promoting conservation efforts. This year they are asking you to ‘Take the Hedgehog Pledge’ and make your garden more hedgehog friendly.
