OAK and Furrows Wildlife Rescue is recruiting new volunteers to help care for young patients at the busiest time of the year.

Tiny fledglings, orphaned cubs, squirrels and rabbits are being brought into the base on the Blakehill Nature Reserve near Cricklade and many hands are needed to make light work of returning them to the wild as well as raising cash for the charity.

Chrissie Ball, centre manager, said: “It’s not all about cuddling and hand rearing.

“What we are looking for are volunteers to help us in all areas of running the charity. We always have a need to raise additional funds, people willing to help with sponsored events, running stalls at fetes.

“We also need rescue drivers. We cover a 35-mile radius of the site so there are a lot of patients that need rescuing or releasing or taking to the vets on a daily basis.”

Then there is the work of caring for the creatures that are taken into the centre on a daily basis – some of them orphaned, some sick and injured.

“There is very little glamour or glitz in wildlife care,” she warned. “A lot of it is newspapers and cleaning.”

Among the centre’s current residents are two deer fawns, fox cubs, badger cubs, cygnets, ducklings, song bird chicks and some birds of prey including two young tawny owls, a peregrine falcon and a couple of buzzards.

It is also caring for a tiny pipistrelle bat and Gordon the young coot.

The charity takes in more than 3,000 wildlife casualties every year and runs a 24-hour, seven days a week rescue service. It relies entirely on donations and fund raising to operate.

Last winter was one of the busiest on record for the team who looked after almost 170 hedgehogs before rehoming the majority of them.

The aim is to release all their wildlife guests back into the wild where possible, but sometimes it isn’t that straightforward.

Marry a young fox cub who became so attached to humans last year that her release back into the wild had to be put back, is currently being prepared for a new life.

A supporter has agreed to have a soft release pen built on their private land so she can gradually become accustomed to being alone before the door to her artificial earth is opened and she is given the choice to stay or go as she pleases.

Anyone interested in helping out, particularly during weekdays and evenings can call the centre on 01793 751412 for more information.