AN ANIMAL rescue centre urgently needs more funds as it is at risk of losing its shelter.

Seahaven Wildlife Rescue Centre (SWR), based in Newhaven, is looking to raise £250,000 to pay for its rent.

Volunteers have said the increased number of injured animals since last summer is exhausting their finances.

Jay, from Brighton, has been a volunteer for SWR for nearly six years.

He said: “Our supporters have donated enough money so we could pay for this month’s rent. We would like to thank our monthly donors, as genuinely without your help we would have shut down by now.

“However, our funds are running really short because of the extra number of patients we have taken in. Since the summer, because it was breeding season for gulls, we have received a lot of injured baby gulls.

“We do not pay our volunteers and all the money goes to care for the animals. The money pays for the rent, vet bills and food.

“Usually it is £300 a month, but because we have been receiving a lot of baby gulls, the cost is reaching close to £1,000 per month. The rent is reasonable, but it’s the extra in-patients which are adding to the cost.

“Last year, over the summer, we received 1,000 calls a month regarding injured gulls.”

The charity was founded in 2012 and it is operated by a small group of volunteers.

Volunteers are exploring different options on how to better sustain its operations.

Jay added: “If we manage to meet our target, we are thinking of buying a property for ourselves.

“We are thinking about merging our centres and have one in Brighton.

“At the moment, we don’t have a back-up plan in case we can’t pay our rent.

“We have a lot of in-patients with us. If we lose our shelter, the animals will either go to Roger’s Wildlife Rescue or the RSPCA. However, this is not ideal because all the other animal shelters don’t have the capacity to take in a lot of patients.

“Everything we do is from the heart, right from our rescue volunteers to our trustees, no one takes any wages for helping to save the lives of British wildlife.

“We are inspired by Bexhill Wildlife Rescue from the other side of the county, who have raised a similar amount in the last few months, so we know the love and support for wildlife and our amazing volunteers is out there.”

To support SWR go to swr.org.uk.