Tiggywinkles
{{Short description|British animal charity}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
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| name = Tiggywinkles
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| image = St Tiggywinkles - geograph.org.uk - 1460114.jpg
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| caption = Entrance to the Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital
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| named_after = Mrs Tiggy-Winkle from The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
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| formation = {{start date and age|1983}}
| founder = Les Stocker, Sue Stocker, Colin Stocker
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| registration_id = 286447
| status = Charity
| purpose = Wildlife rehabilitation and education
Veterinary education
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| website = {{URL|https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/}}
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Tiggywinkles is a British animal welfare charity and wildlife hospital, also known as St Tiggywinkles and The Wildlife Hospital Trust. Tiggywinkles, which specialises in the rescue and treatment of wild animals, was founded in 1983 as the Wildlife Hospital Trust by Les Stocker as the United Kingdom's first wildlife hospital.{{Cite news|last=Warwick|first=Hugh|date=2016-07-26|title=Les Stocker obituary|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/26/leslie-stocker-obituary|access-date=2020-07-01|issn=0261-3077}} The name derives from the titular hedgehog character in Beatrix Potter's story The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.{{Cite web|last=Tracey|first=Liz|date=2020-03-10|title=Biomimicry Comes for the Noble Hedgehog|url=https://daily.jstor.org/biomimicry-comes-for-the-noble-hedgehog/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=JSTOR Daily|language=en-US}}
It is based at Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, where it operates an animal hospital and visitor centre, and teaches wild animal practice to veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
History
The animal welfare hospital takes its name from the character in the children's story The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, by English writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter.
In 1978, Les and Sue Stocker and their son Colin started caring for injured wild animals. In the following years, their activities began to attract attention and led to increasing numbers of animals being brought into their home.{{Cite book|last=Matthews|first=Helen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u_OJDwAAQBAJ|title=Slow Travel: The Chilterns & the Thames Valley|last2=Matthews|first2=Neil|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|year=2019|isbn=978-1-78477-613-8|location=Chalfont Saint Peter|pages=224|language=en}} The Stockers formally registered The Wildlife Hospital Trust as a charity in 1983.{{Cite web|last=Kernot|first=Holly|date=2016-07-25|title=Pioneering wildlife campaigner and Tiggywinkles founder dies|url=https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/pioneering-wildlife-campaigner-and-tiggywinkles-founder-dies/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Vet Times}}
Les Stocker was the recipient of a Rolex Award for Enterprise in 1990 for his work at the hospital.{{Cite news|date=2016-07-19|title=Les Stocker, St Tiggywinkles founder – obituary|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/19/les-stocker-st-tiggywinkles-founder--obituary/|access-date=2020-07-01|issn=0307-1235}} In 1991, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to wildlife.{{Cite news|date=2016-07-20|title=Family, friends and colleagues pay tribute to the founder of Haddenham's St Tiggwinkles Wildlife Hospital|work=The Bucks Herald|url=https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/family-friends-and-colleagues-pay-tribute-founder-haddenhams-st-tiggwinkles-wildlife-hospital-771941|access-date=2020-07-01}} Les Stocker died on 16 July 2016, after a short illness, aged 73.{{Cite news|date=2016-07-18|title=Shock as Tiggywinkles founder Les Stocker dies aged 73|work=The Bucks Herald|url=https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/shock-tiggywinkles-founder-les-stocker-dies-aged-73-772273|access-date=2020-07-01}}
In 2018–19, Tiggywinkles had an annual expenditure of £1,618,673.{{Cite web|title=The Wildlife Trust|url=https://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=286447|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Charity Commission|language=en}}
In 2025, Tiggywinkles 'indefinitely' suspended Russell Brand as an ambassador for the charity, following his sexual harassment charges by the Metropolitan Police.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-04 |title=Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0457d02e9go |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}} CEO, Colin Stocker, told The Mirror: "With the news of the extremely serious charges announced last week, our senior team met and immediately suspended Mr Brand from his ambassador role at Tiggywinkles, indefinitely".{{Cite web |date=2025-04-07 |title=Russell Brand suspended from charity after rape and sex crime charges |url=https://metro.co.uk/2025/04/07/russell-brand-suspended-charity-charged-rape-sex-crimes-22863866/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Metro |language=en}}
Cultural impact
Les Stocker wrote a popular account of his work at the hospital, Something in a Cardboard Box: Tales from a Wildlife Hospital (1989) and a number of books based on the work of the hospital, including a veterinary manual, Practical Wildlife Care (2000).
Beginning in July 2008, Tiggywinkles was the setting for Wild Animal ER, a 20-part, half-hour documentary TV series presented by Kate Gerbeau, and shown on Channel Five in the UK.{{Cite web|title=Wild Animal ER - Episode 1|url=https://www.channel5.com/episode/episode-1-589|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Channel 5|language=en-US}}
It was also featured in the first episode of Come Outside called "Hedgehogs".{{Cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jacqui|title=St. Tiggywinkle's Wildlife Hospital, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire Review|url=http://www.eparenting.co.uk/days_out/tiggywinkles.shtml|access-date=2020-07-01|website=eParenting|language=en-gb}}
See also
References
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External links
{{commons category}}
- {{official website|https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/}}
- {{EW charity|286447|The Wildlife Hospital Trust}}
{{Animal welfare}}
Category:1983 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Animal charities based in the United Kingdom
Category:Animal welfare organisations based in the United Kingdom
Category:Charities based in Buckinghamshire
Category:Organizations established in 1983