Volunteer

Located in the village of Haddenham in rural Buckinghamshire, Tiggywinkles offers an outstanding volunteering environment, working in a professional veterinary practice specialising in wildlife, giving our volunteers the chance to be part of a friendly, passionate, and highly skilled patient-focused team at our world-leading wildlife hospital. As well as the opportunity to develop your experience and help support Britain’s amazing wild species, volunteers have free on-site parking, good road and rail links, and fun social events.

Husbandry Volunteers

We are looking for Husbandry Volunteers to assist in the Hospital and Rehabilitation Enclosures doing animal husbandry one day a week, 9am to 5pm, on a regular basis, for a minimum of 6 months.

Tiggywinkles is a very busy, working veterinary Hospital, so volunteers need to be able to work independently, at speed, as we get extremely busy through most of the year. There will be regular periods when you will be working on your own in our smaller wards or outside areas.

Husbandry work involves cleaning cages and enclosures in our very busy Hospital; preparing and providing food for the animals; along with cleaning, tidying and seasonal enclosure maintenance across the rest of the Hospital areas – working inside and outside, in all weathers. Bedding needs to be washed and dried every day. Food bowls and utensils are washed and sterilised every day.

We work with wild animals, who are likely to try and escape, and volunteers need to be able to work quickly and efficiently to minimise the stress levels on our wild patients. Our goal is to release animals back into the wild at the end of their treatment, so minimal handling of animals is essential to keep them wild. We also do not talk to our animals, as they find this very stressful.

As we are caring for sick and injured animals, biosecurity and infection control are an essential part of the cleaning regime for our husbandry volunteers, as we need to ensure all animals undergoing their treatments are kept in very clean enclosures at all times, so attention to detail is a key part of our volunteers’ role, as you are responsible for the welfare of the animals that you are working with.

As our Hospital gets extremely busy through the Spring and Summer months, our volunteers play a key part in assisting the efficient running of the Hospital husbandry routines and need to adhere to all health and safety, and biosecurity policies and procedures at all times.

Volunteers need to be over 18, with current tetanus cover, and able to provide two employment-based referees, as all positions are subject to acceptable references.

All volunteers are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, as we work with young people and vulnerable adults.

Volunteers are also required to complete and pass free online safeguarding training.

If this role is of interest to you, please send in your completed Application Form today.

Volunteer Rescuers

Are you someone who fancies a challenge?

We need volunteer rescuers who are happy to rescue and transport sick and injured large animals and bring them to Tiggywinkles in your own vehicle.

Currently we are looking for:

Daytime Rescuers in Oxford; Abingdon; Kidlington; Bicester; Buckingham; Witney; Woodstock to cover weekday daytimes.

Evening & Weekend Rescuers from anywhere in Bucks/Oxon area who are available Evenings & Weekends.

We will provide all the required training and equipment for you to rescue animals such as Swans, Foxes, Badgers and Deer.

All volunteer Rescuers need to be over the age of 21 and be able to provide two employment referees.

You also need your own transport, a car with a hatchback or large boot (or even a small van) would be ideal.

A series of short training sessions will be carried out on site here, on weekday afternoons, covering the safe handling and transport of the different large species.

If this sounds like the right fit for you, please fill in our Rescuer Application form.

Thank you for your kind support!

Volunteer Fosterers for Orphaned Juvenile Mammals

We are looking for Volunteers to foster orphaned juvenile mammals in their own homes. All training and equipment will be provided.

Baby season runs from roughly April to October time, so we are looking to recruit and train people who will be available across the whole baby season.

We are looking for people who are available most of the time throughout the day, 7 days a week. Juvenile hedgehogs, for example, need feeding every 2-3 hours and can take a little while to feed. Each feed may take 15 to 30 minutes for the group of babies that you would be caring for.

All volunteer Rescuers need to be over the age of 21 and be able to provide two employment referees.

You also need your own transport.

If this sounds like the right fit for you, please fill in our Fostering Application form

Thank you for your kind support!

Volunteer Ambulance Drivers

Are you someone who fancies a challenge?

We need volunteer ambulance drivers who are happy to transport sick and injured small animals and bring them to Tiggywinkles in your own vehicle.

Currently we are looking for anywhere in Bucks/Oxon area.

All volunteer Rescuers need to be over the age of 21 and be able to provide two employment referees.

You also need your own transport.

A series of short training sessions will be carried out on site here, on weekday afternoons, covering the safe handling and transport of the different species.

If this sounds like the right fit for you, please fill in our Volunteer Application Form and send to [email protected].

We also have husbandry work experience placements available. To find out more, please click here.

There are a number of ways you can help and support our life-saving work. Click here to find out more