Volunteering & Work Experience

For volunteering opportunities please email:

Volunteers@foxproject.org.uk

The Fox Project does not receive financial support from national or local governments. It relies entirely on donations from supporters, the general public and for specific projects, from grant making trusts.

There is no official membership for supporters, but a donation of at least £10, either by cash, cheque, card or standing order, guarantees you will receive newsletters, appeals and updates for a period of 12 months.  Apart from a small range of sales goods, fundraising schemes and our Cub Adoption Scheme. Information on these may be obtained from our Admin Office.

The Fox Project staff work tirelessly caring for sick and injured foxes and we very much appreciate any offer of assistance.  We admit over 800 foxes per year and the process of recuperation and return to the wild requires considerable input from our amazingly dedicated team of staff and network of volunteers, without whom we would be hard pushed to operate as successfully as we do.

The Intensive Care Unit where we clean feed and medicate recovering casualties twice daily. Unit Partners assist here by taking a weekly position once trained. Training is organised to take place at 9am on a weekday.

Rescuers are also trained at the Intensive Care Unit in order to receive handling experience. A keen rescuer will be kitted out with a carry cage and a landing net, after which they would be contacted by the duty ambulance driver to assist with any foxes in need of rescue in their area.

Fosterers – we build pens in fosterers’ gardens where they can look after recovering adult casualties or groups of cubs. The pens measure 12’ x 6’ including a porch whereby access can be gained without risk of accidental escape. Tarpaulin is used on the roof and on the wind blown sides to keep the foxes and their bedding dry. A sleeping box is provided for the secretive characters and a shelf for the inquisitive ones. We can supply all items needed to feed and keep the pens clean. Fosterers do not necessarily live within our catchment area we happily travel over 30 miles to some of our facilities.

Rehabilitators:  we successfully release scores of hand-raised fox cubs back to the wild every year.  That success initially depends on our fosterers but ultimately there is a need for somewhere from whence the cubs may be released back into the wild.  Suitable sites have to be rural or edge-of-suburbia and must be private.  We are lucky enough to have several dozen enthusiastic farmers, smallholders and landowners who are prepared to assist with this vital aspect of our work.  Without controlled, ‘soft’ rehabilitation, there would be little point in rescuing sick,injured and orphaned cubs in the first place, because they would have nowhere to go in the long term.  Soft rehab is distinct from hard release, which simply involves turning helpless, inexperienced and unsupported animals loose in an environment in which they have no experience.  Soft release sites are kitted-up with a temporary, secure release pen into which a group of five suitably ‘wilded-up’ cubs are placed.  They are held in the pen for up to six weeks, fed and their pen cleaned-out daily by the rehabber, and this gives them time to get used to the sights, sounds and smells of the area whilst the wildlife around the pen gets used to them.  Release coincides with the natural, annual dispersal of wild raised cubs from their family groups – usually at around four to five months of age, after which the rehabber continues to provide back-up feeding for so long as his or her cubs require it – seldom more than a few days, before they have begun to find natural prey and learned to hunt.

Fundraisers: basically what it says on the tin!  We operate a system of local fundraising groups, each of which organises their own events or comes together with others for larger projects.  Fundraising schemes will include street collections, supermarket customer check-out bag packing, information and sales stalls at local fetes, shows etc., pub quizzes, sponsored events, school no-uniform days, raffles – anything, really, and with the option to dress up in fox outfits sized for both adults and children!

If you are interested in helping us, please send an email to fox@foxproject.org.uk stating how you can help.

Easyfundraising: If you’ve not signed up to shop through Easyfundraising yet, now’s the time to do so. If you have THE FOX PROJECT nominated as your favourite charity, we receive a donation on every purchase, at no cost to you! See link below:

Amazon Wishlist: Another way you can help, is to buy the foxes a present from our wishlist.

Mobile Ambulance
(9am-9pm Daily)
01892 731565