Each week we give you the opportunity to quiz a leading figure in Sussex. This week Your Interview features Trevor Weeks of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service, who talks of his 90-hour working weeks, opposition to badger culling and how he found out about his MBE earlier this year.
David Hammond in Hassocks by email: If Mr Weeks was granted one wish to improve the lives of animals; what would it be?
Trevor Weeks (TW): I think I would introduce compulsory training courses for people wanting to look after any animal, birds etc and for breeding from any animal, bird etc, which must be passed before anyone can look after that specific animal. This would cut down on a lot of neglect and ignorance which causes a lot of suffering.
Cash Bull (The Argus): Where do you stand on hunting? Should we cull badgers and are there too many urban foxes?
TW: Hunting should only be for those who need to hunt for food, that is what was originally classed as hunting and I have no problem with that.
Hunting for sport, fun and apparent pest control is wrong and a waste of time and money. There is normally an alternative solution to hunting and a form of humane pest control using deterrence which can be introduced instead.
As for the badger cull I have been against this ludicrous idea for many years. Yes TB can spread from badger to cattle and cattle to badger, but also to deer, hedgehogs, foxes and humans.
So why are the badgers the only animal being targeted? Improved bio security on farms, compulsory testing of cattle before being moved from one location to another to be introduced – including the testing of cattle being moved between unconnected farm land, for example if a farmer rents land away from their main farm.
I also feel that rather than the Government using taxpayers money to subsidise farmers when they lose cattle to TB or any other illness, it should be funded by the consumers via the supermarkets.
Are we overrun by foxes? No. At certain times of year the numbers rise as they breed and people see an increase and we always get calls saying there has been an explosion in the fox population but then the numbers start decreasing as they get hit by cars or fail to mature in the cycle of life which happens to every species. Sadly many people only see the short-term picture and don’t look at the long-term problems.
The number of foxes we are getting called to or having to bring into care is not increasing where most other animals are.
George Smith (The Argus Online): How do the finances of a small animal charity work? Do you have an independent income? Do you put money yourself into the charity?
TW: Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service is funded by donations, especially standing order supporters.
This is the life blood of our work. We also have the occasional small legacy, occasional small grant.
The rest of it is fundraising events and talks. Many people think WRAS is subsidised by local councils or central Government and even some people thinking we are funded by the RSPCA.
We have had the occasional grant from Brighton and Hove City Council, Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council but this is normally for a very small amount of the actual costs - normally between £500 and £1,000.
We are often up against the problem that councils and other trusts, including the National Lottery, don’t see our service as benefiting the community.
However, it is the public in their thousands who call us out, not the animals themselves, but we also help prevent people from being injured when finding wildlife casualties, covering the veterinary costs, providing safe transport, and taking the stress and anxiety away from people when they find casualties.
Over the years I have put in approximately £22,000 worth of my own money through my saving, and income. Sadly I have no saving anymore and earn only minimum wage now getting paid to work just 30 hours a week, but in reality I work up to 90 hours a week.
However, where I can, I still make contributions to WRAS.
My mum told me when I was younger that “look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”. So each year I collect my small change and donate this to WRAS at Christmas.
From Crystal Ball (The Argus Online): What inspired you to do what you do with the passion and enthusiasm you so regularly demonstrate?
TW: My mum was a big inspiration and she loved animals, and as children we always had chicken, dogs, cats, birds, fish and even a terrapin at one point.
I always loved the countryside and spent most of my childhood in the countryside. She got me involved with Eastbourne Conservation Volunteers and this led on to me volunteering with Meta Mann who used to run the Seaford Bird Hospital from her home in Seaford.
Meta was very encouraging and I learnt a lot from her and she was my inspiration to get WRAS off the ground. I admit I am not the best “people person” but I found I was good with animals.
My brother went down the human route and I went down the animals route doing the same thing.
My biggest inspiration is our volunteers who must be the best bunch of volunteers we have ever had, their commitment, dedication, energy and enthusiasm is amazing and without them WRAS would not exists.
By Email: Are you scared of any animals? Is there a creature you’d refuse to help?
TW: Squirrel always worry me! They are so fast, nibble and strong. I’ve not been bitten by one yet either.
WRAS is unable to deal with pets and animals which are owned by people due to legal reasons but if I came across an animal I would help it regardless if I could.
There have been numerous pets and agricultural animals which I have dealt with, like sheep, boar, cats and dogs and more.
By Email: What is the most exciting rescue you’ve been involved in?
TW: The most exciting but also stressful rescue was the rescue of Marra the dolphin’s trapped in a marina in Cumbria. I was there for three weeks monitoring the dolphins condition and helping to organise the rescue effort which involved draining the marina, physically catching the dolphin, getting it into a stretcher and craning it out onto a waiting inshore rescue boat.
By Letter: How did you find out you were going to receive an MBE, what does it mean to you and what was it like meeting the Queen?
TW: I received a letter from the Cabinet Office in May and I was stationary in a queue of traffic when I opened the letter, and had to read it a few times for it to sink in. I ended up pulling over to double check.
The letter says “strictly confidential” and you are not supposed to tell anyone until the formal announcement in June.
However, you don’t hear anything from then until after the announcement, so you start thinking it’s a joke or someone is winding you up.
I was amazed as I honestly thought I would never be accepted for anything like this. People don’t understand the way the honours system works and many people don’t realise that it’s not the Royal Family who choose who receives an award, but a committee of people from various government departments and organisations.
You are nominated by members of the public who have to write quite a few letters of support in order to be taken seriously.
I have promised to use my MBE as often as possible to help improve animal welfare and hope that it gives recognition not just to me but to WRAS as an organisation and people feel more confident in donating money to our charity.
It was the Prince of Wales who I met at the Palace and I think I would have been more nervous had it been the Queen.
By Email: When you’re not rescuing animals, what do you like to do in your spare time and why?
TW: What spare time? I’ve got so little spare time I don’t have time for anything else.
I’m normally so exhausted by the time I get a day off that I am wiped out.
However I do like to have a Sunday veggie roast dinner with my girlfriend Kathy.
I’ve only had one proper holiday in the last 20 years and that was a very kind free holiday in Grand Bahamas about three years ago which was a once in a life time experience and one I will not forget in a hurry.
I rarely take any time off from WRAS and frequently have to work my days off for fundraising events and more. But I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it and also because I see what a difference it make to the animals.
If I don’t help with fundraising and education work then WRAS wouldn’t exist and WRAS means the world to me and has been the one constant in my life and I will do whatever it takes to see WRAS continue helping as many casualties as possible in the long term.
By Email: Is it ‘just a job’ or are you affected emotionally by some of the jobs you get called out to? Can you give an example of a call out where you were particularly upset?
TW: When out on rescue you are very much in professional mode as much as possible, but it is not always easy. Some people have criticised me in the past for not caring enough at the same time as others criticising me for caring and being too emotional – you can’t win.
For the animals’ sake when out on a rescue you have to be as professional as possible and put feelings and emotions aside, in order to get the job done in the best interest of the animals.
It is always afterwards when you are affected and you realise what actually happened. I have lost my temper a few times and my emotions have got the better of me, when people have neglected animals or have been overly demanding towards us, but I’m only human and certainly not perfect.
Would you like to quiz key figures in the county?
Are there questions you would love to get the answers to?
We are giving you the chance to put questions to leading figures, politicians and business people across Sussex as part of a new feature called Your Interview.
Who would you like to see on the spot?
Email your ideas to news@theargus.co.uk or call the newsdesk on 01273 544512.
Next week Darren Bentham of Southern Water answers your questions.
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