Rabbit on at Freshfiels Animal Rescue Centre Ince Bluindell

I spent a couple of hours at the Freshfield Animal Rescue Centre in Ince Blundell today as part of the 'Rabbit On Event'. My chief responsibility was to present a volunteer award to Ether Webber who has been a regular at Ince Blundell since 1995.

Meeting so many dedicated volunteers like Ethel has been on of the highlights of the last year. It is folk like her that make such an enormous difference to our community. Charities like Freshfield could not operate without the active participation on their army of voluntary workers.

I got to have a good look round the farm and although it was a day dedicated to rabbits I got to meet lots of other wild and domestic animals.

I was introduced to Jürgen the physic pig who has be asked to predict the outcome of football matches . Ollie Cowan over on the Champion has been covering the story

Whilst in Jürgen's field I met a very territorial turkey and a pot belly pig. (I should say that Jürgen is so called because he was found abandoned in Anfield. ) The man in charge of the wild animals was Paul and he is very enthusiastic about the care of Urban foxes many of which are brought to the centre.

Hugo posing for the camera

Whilst I was there I met Chelsea who was giving a talk on hedgehogs and she introduced me to two of her charges; Belinda and Hugo. They were both brought to the centre before the hibernation time. Their body weight and injuries meant that left in the wild they almost certainly would not have survived. The centre has about 75 hedgehogs at present fit and ready to be returned to the great outdoors.

I had no idea the breadth of the work undertaken at the centre which has now been open for 40 years. It was really good to see so many people attending the event and I wish the centre every success in the coming years

I also got to meet Fudge who was rescued by the Centre and has now been successfully re-homed