PRESIDENT Brian Melville had the pleasant task at this week’s meeting of awarding Cyril Harrison with his well deserved Honorary Life Membership badge. Cyril has been a member since 1990 and he thanked fellow members for this recognition.

Our speaker was Martin Brookes of the Vale Wildlife Hospital and rehabilitation Centre. He was accompanied by Caroline Gould, whose father was the well-known headmaster of Prince Henry’s.

Martin described the early beginnings of the hospital which was set up in 1984 in Cropthorne and the extensive facilities that they now have at their purpose-built site at Beckford. The first patient was a tawny owl and they now look after between 4,000 and 4,500 casualties a year. The hazards wild animals face includes, for example, vehicles, fishing lines, litter, fencing, bonfires, mowers, farming methods and vandalism. He showed slides of some of the animals they have treated, most of which were injured largely as a result of us humans.

They treat between 700 and 1,000 hedgehogs a year and have even had six polecats this year. They also care for orphans with some of the very young needing to be fed every 15 minutes.

As a charity they depend upon donations and bequests and need to raise some £30,000 every month for running costs. However, they also welcome pet food, washing powder, paper and goods for their shop in Evesham. They welcome all to their Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 7.

David Lee thanked Martin and Caroline for their presentation, and notwithstanding his own intense dislike of cats, thanked them for their care of these animals.

On October 15 we shall hear about Drones – followed on October 22 by Agincourt.

CHRIS DONOUGH