City & Guilds Qualifications

We are proud to be a City & Guilds approved training centre with an excellent reputation within City & Guilds and future employers - for the high quality of the training we deliver to our students, and the calibre of the achievers that leave us to go out into the world of animal welfare and conservation.

We offer a unique, hands-on route to gaining a fully accredited and nationally recognised qualification, whilst working with all species of British wildlife.

We offer practical training in all aspects of animal husbandry. As a working wildlife hospital, and a practical training centre, our students spend 60-80% of their time hands-on: cleaning, feeding, mucking out and moving some of the thousand plus wild animals that we have in our hospital at any one time.

In their practical sessions, students handle the hedgehogs, birds of prey, rabbits and swans, to name but a few species. They are involved in all aspects of care from taking in deliveries of bags of feed, cleaning and hosing down pens, cages and aviaries to working in the wards and outside enclosures, or assisting with health checking. The year round course means students get to experience everything the varying seasons brings, whilst playing their part in the care of all the sick, injured and orphaned species that come through our doors every day. Students play a key part in the care and rehabilitation of our patients and help them on their road back into the wild.

Our classroom based learning builds the students’ underpinning knowledge of animal health and welfare, and students will complete assignments and assessments to gain excellent grades in their qualifications to help them move on to employment or further/higher education after their course is completed.

These courses are ideal for anyone wishing to have a career in the animal welfare industry, whilst learning hands-on with wildlife, in a very busy Hospital environment.

From 2012 to 2021 – 98% of our learners went into employment or further/higher education on achieving their qualification with us.

Start Dates

Tiggywinkles takes on a small number of students each September – so we can give you the best experience and training possible. We often receive more applications than we have places, and therefore we only take on students who we feel are really committed to learning and achieving their qualification.

Courses run from September to end of July – with two weeks off at Christmas and two weeks at Easter. We do not break for half-terms or bank holidays. We are not a residential centre, so you will need to live (or rent) locally or be prepared to travel to get here.

Walking Routes to Tiggywinkles

Please see below for the recommended walking routes to Tiggywinkles, from both the main bus stop and the train station.