East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service

What East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service does

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) is a registered charity (No. 1108880) and not-for-profit company limited by guarantee founded in 1985 by Trevor Weeks MBE to provide frontline emergency rescue, veterinary treatment, rehabilitation, and release services for wildlife casualties across East Sussex, United Kingdom. The core operating footprint centres on a wildlife hospital and casualty centre at Whitesmith (BN8 6JD) capable of holding up to 350 casualties at a time, supported by an ambulance fleet, on-site X-ray diagnostic equipment, and trained marine mammal medics for cetacean and seal response in cooperation with BDMLR. The 24-hour rescue hotline (0300 10 26 999) is the primary access point, supplemented by comprehensive online advice covering more than 20 species. In 2024 WRAS directly rescued over 6,600 casualties (its busiest year on record), out of approximately 20,000 phone calls annually, and has rescued more than 80,000 casualties cumulatively since 1985.

All services to the general public are free of charge, with no government funding received. The business model is purely donation-led: operational costs average £97 per call-out and are funded through a diversified mix of individual donations (via DonorBox, JustGiving, CAF Donate, Gift Aid, bank transfer, cash), four local lottery partnerships (Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden, Unity at £1/week per ticket with ~50p to WRAS), an online charity shop on Vinted and eBay for Charity, corporate sponsorship packages (ambulance, care assistant, vet-of-the-year), recycling partnerships (Recycle4Charity, Recycling for Good Causes), gifts in Wills/legacies, paid educational talks delivered by Trevor Weeks MBE (£60-£150 plus mileage), and participation in community events including the Eastbourne Lammas Festival. Marketing is community-led and event-driven, relying on earned media, social media (YouTube, Facebook), newsletters, school and college outreach, and the founder's longstanding press profile.

The organisation is currently running the Future in Focus X-ray appeal after vital diagnostic equipment failed in June 2026, and is redeveloping its Wildlife First Aid and Rescue Course for a 2026 relaunch, while planning a future hospital that will introduce new named-area sponsorship tiers. Strategic partners include Sussex Police (Operation Lakeshot wildlife crime), League Against Cruel Sports, BDMLR, and multiple educational institutions (Plumpton, Hadlow, Canterbury, University of Kent, Animal Courses Direct). The charity is NCVO-registered, ICO-registered for data protection, and subject to the Fundraising Regulator code.

Name

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service

Legal name

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service

Website

https://wildlifeambulance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service is a UK registered charity founded in 1985 providing free 24-hour frontline wildlife rescue, veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and release across East Sussex, funded entirely by public donations, lotteries, legacies, corporate sponsorship and educational talks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rescue, Transport & Emergency Animal Response (BPAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Mobile & Emergency Veterinary Services (AFAEANAH), Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Wildlife rescue services
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Veterinary wildlife care
• Emergency animal ambulance
• Charity wildlife support

Headquarters

HQ city

Seaford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off and regular donations from members of the public, collected via DonorBox, JustGiving, CAF Donate, bank transfer, and cash. The charity relies entirely on public donations with no government funding.
2. Lotteries and Raffles: WRAS participates in local lotteries (Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden, Unity) at £1 per ticket per week, with a 1-in-50 chance to win prizes up to £25,000. WRAS receives approximately half of each ticket price.
3. Online Charity Shop Sales: Pre-loved and collectable items sold through Vinted and eBay for Charity. Physical shop has permanently closed.
4. Gifts in Wills (Legacies): Bequests left in supporters' Wills including pecuniary legacies (sums of money), residuary legacies (share of estate), and specific gifts such as property or shares.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship packages including sponsoring an ambulance, care assistant, or vet for a year; corporate social responsibility partnerships; charity of the year arrangements; employee fundraising; and product licensing.
6. Recycling Partnerships: WRAS receives donations through Recycle4Charity (ink cartridges) and Recycling for Good Causes (jewellery, watches, banknotes), with free post labels provided for donors.
7. Service Charge to Organisations: While the rescue service is free to the general public, WRAS reserves the right to charge councils, organisations, and companies for rescue services.
8. Educational Talks and Courses: Paid presentations delivered by Trevor Weeks MBE to schools, colleges, universities, and community groups. Pricing ranges from £60–£150 depending on event type, with additional mileage charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

East Sussex WRAS delivers a 24-hour emergency wildlife rescue hotline, ambulance dispatch, and a wildlife hospital and casualty centre at Whitesmith providing emergency first aid, diagnostics (including X-ray), treatment, surgery, rehabilitation and release for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. The service is provided free of charge to the public across East Sussex, with capacity for up to 350 casualties at any one time and a 2024 volume of more than 6,600 rescues. Supporting offerings include online species-specific advice, educational talks, wildlife first aid courses, work experience placements, an online charity shop, and a suite of donation, lottery and legacy fundraising programmes.

Product overview

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) operates as a single, unified charitable service centred on its core wildlife rescue and rehabilitation offering. The primary service is the 24-hour emergency wildlife rescue hotline and ambulance service, complemented by an on-site wildlife hospital and casualty centre at Whitesmith capable of holding up to 350 casualties. Supporting the core rescue operation are educational programmes (talks, wildlife courses, work experience placements), an online charity shop, and multiple fundraising mechanisms (donations, lotteries, legacies). The charity provides its services entirely free of charge to the public, managing approximately 20,000 phone calls annually and rescuing over 6,600 casualties in 2024. The organisation is currently running the Future in Focus X-ray Appeal to replace essential diagnostic equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Wildlife Rescue Service 24-hour emergency rescue hotline and ambulance dispatch responding to wildlife casualties across East Sussex. Operates daily from 8am-9pm with reduced out-of-hours cover for genuine emergencies. Free of charge to the general public.
• Wildlife Hospital and Casualty Centre Veterinary hospital at Whitesmith, East Sussex, providing emergency first aid, treatment, surgery, rehabilitation and release services for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife, with capacity for up to 350 casualties at any one time.
• Educational Talks and Presentations Paid talks delivered by Trevor Weeks MBE and the WRAS team covering the charity's work, hedgehog awareness, deer awareness, and principles of wildlife rescue. Offered to schools, colleges, universities and community groups from £60 to £150 per session.
• Wildlife First Aid and Rescue Course Full day or evening course teaching the basic principles of wildlife first aid and rescue, including practical tasks and video presentations, for members of the public and aspiring rescuers.
• Work Experience Placements Hands-on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation placements for students aged 16+ from colleges and universities (Plumpton College, Hadlow College, Animal Courses Direct, University of Kent), offered between March and August.
• Online Charity Shop Online shop selling pre-loved, collectable and unique items via Vinted and eBay for Charity. The physical charity shop has permanently closed.
• Donation and Fundraising Services Multiple donation and fundraising options including one-off donations via DonorBox, regular giving via CAF Donate, JustGiving 'In Memory' fundraising, Amazon Wishlist, payroll giving, and corporate partnership opportunities.
• Lottery and Raffle Registered with Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden Local Lotteries and Unity Lottery. Tickets cost £1/week with a 1 in 50 chance to win prizes each week, including a top prize of £25,000.
• Gifts in Wills and Legacies Legacy giving programme allowing supporters to leave pecuniary legacies, residuary legacies, or specific gifts such as property or shares in their Will, with recognition through the charity's Memory Tree.
• Hedgehog Experience Experience programme for hedgehog enthusiasts to learn about hedgehog care and spend a morning as a hedgehog carer at the rescue centre.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,600 wildlife casualties rescued by WRAS in 2024 alone, marking the charity's busiest year to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• League Against Cruel SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAS participates in Operation Lakeshot, a national initiative led by the League Against Cruel Sports working with police forces and wildlife organisations to tackle catapult attacks and deliberate harm to wildlife. WRAS shares incident information with Operation Lakeshot and encourages the public to report concerns to both Sussex Police and the League Against Cruel Sports.
• British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAS works closely with BDMLR on cetacean strandings and seal rescues. WRAS has trained marine mammal medics on staff. For cetacean strandings, WRAS advises the public to contact both WRAS and BDMLR (01825 765 546, 24 hours).
• International Animal RescueminorOthersListed as a sponsor of East Sussex WRAS. Nature of sponsorship not detailed in available sources.
• The Hastings ProjectminorOthersListed as a sponsor of East Sussex WRAS. Nature of sponsorship not detailed in available sources.
• Badger TrustminorOthersWRAS recommends contacting the Badger Trust for advice and support on badger-related concerns. Listed on WRAS's rescue advice page as an additional useful contact.
• Bat Conservation TrustminorOthersWRAS lists the Bat Conservation Trust as a useful contact for bat-related queries alongside its own rescue services.
• The Fox ProjectminorOthersWRAS refers members of the public to The Fox Project for advice and information on foxes, alongside providing its own rescue services.
• Natural EnglandminorOthersGovernment body responsible for wildlife licensing in England. WRAS advises the public to contact Natural England for guidance on wildlife licensing matters including grey squirrel treatment and general licences for bird interference.
• Sussex PolicecoreOthersWRAS reports evidence of criminal offences to Sussex Police. WRAS also works with Sussex Police on Operation Lakeshot (wildlife crime). The public is directed to report wildlife crime to Sussex Police via 101 or 999.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)minorOthersWRAS is a member of NCVO, demonstrating compliance with standards for voluntary organisations.
• Fundraising RegulatorminorOthersWRAS is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, indicating compliance with fundraising standards and code of practice.
• Eastbourne Local LotteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWRAS receives approximately half of each £1 weekly lottery ticket sold through Eastbourne Local Lottery, with a top prize of £25,000.
• Lewes Local LotteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWRAS receives approximately half of each £1 weekly lottery ticket sold through Lewes Local Lottery.
• Wealden Community LotteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWRAS receives approximately half of each £1 weekly lottery ticket sold through Wealden Community Lottery.
• Unity LotteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWRAS participates in Unity Lottery where players can win up to £25,000 while raising funds for the charity.
• Recycle4CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWRAS partners with Recycle4Charity enabling supporters to recycle approved ink cartridges with free-post labels, generating donations at no additional cost.
• Recycling for Good CausesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWRAS partners with Recycling for Good Causes to recycle donated jewellery, watches, and banknotes, with proceeds going to the charity.
• Plumpton CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAS takes work experience students from Plumpton College, an agricultural and animal care college, offering placements between March and August.
• Hadlow CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAS takes work experience students from Hadlow College as part of its education and outreach programme.
• Animal Courses DirectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAS takes work experience students from Animal Courses Direct, providing practical wildlife rescue experience for students studying animal-related courses.
• University of KentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAS takes work experience students from University of Kent as part of its education programme in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
• Canterbury CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrevor Weeks delivered a talk to Animal Biology and Wildlife Conservation degree students at Canterbury College, providing practical insight into wildlife rescue as part of the curriculum.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RSPCA: Largest UK animal welfare charity; broader scope covering domestic and wild animals, but operates wildlife rescue, inspectorate, and hospitals, making it an incumbent reference point in the same overall space.
• The Wildlife Trusts: National federation of 46 wildlife trusts focused on conservation and habitat rather than casualty rescue; adjacent in mission but operates at scale across the UK and overlaps in wildlife advocacy.

Direct peers

• Tiggywinkles (St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital): Buckinghamshire wildlife hospital treating tens of thousands of casualties annually; comparable as a specialist wildlife veterinary hospital with similar rescue, rehabilitation, and release mission, also charity-funded.
• Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue: Scottish wildlife rescue charity running a wildlife hospital and rescue service; comparable charity-funded casualty hospital with veterinary care and rehabilitation services.
• Secret World Wildlife Rescue: Somerset-based charity operating a 24-hour wildlife rescue service and wildlife casualty hospital; directly comparable operating model including rescue hotline, hospital intake, and donation-led funding.
• Vale Wildlife Hospital: Gloucestershire-based wildlife casualty hospital treating thousands of animals per year; directly comparable as a regional charity-funded wildlife hospital accepting public-found casualties.
• British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR): UK-wide charity specialising in marine mammal rescue, including the cetacean stranding response that WRAS supports with trained medics; closely aligned mission on emergency wildlife response.
• Folly Wildlife Rescue: West Sussex wildlife rescue hospital and rehabilitation centre; very comparable East-Sussex-adjacent regional charity offering rescue, treatment, and release.
• Wildlife Aid Foundation: Surrey-based wildlife rescue hospital and 24-hour rescue service operating since 1980; directly comparable regional wildlife casualty hospital and ambulance operation serving southern England, also featured on TV (BBC Animal Rescue).

Regional players

• Scottish SPCA: Scotland's animal welfare charity with wildlife rescue services and veterinary hospitals; comparable charity-funded wildlife rescue operator, but serves a different UK geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/eastsussexwras
• Xx.com/eastsussexwras
• Facebookfacebook.com/wildlifeambulance

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service