HART Wildlife Rescue is hoping to raise £2,500 through crowdfunding to build a new waterbird aviary which will cater for the needs of the many abandoned ducklings it admits every year.

The Hampshire based animal rescue centre is hoping to raise their money through Peoplefund.it – a crowdfunding website created by KEO digital, the makers of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight, River Cottage and Chicken Out.

HART Wildlife Rescue, now at Alton but founded in Overton, cares for sick, injured and abandoned wildlife across Hampshire and the surrounding counties.

As well as rescuing and rehabilitating animals, the charity offers advice for local vets, the police and RSPCA on wildlife care, as well as members of the public and local groups.

It continues to admit more casualties every year and desperately needs to grow.

Peoplefund.it enables project founders to ask the crowd closest to them for the funding they need.

The founders of the project set a target for the money they want to raise and explain how it will use the cash.

People can then make pledges for small amounts of money in return for a reward.

Hospital manager Charmian Greenland-Jones said: “This project is just part of our Phase Two development.

“We have already been given some funds towards it but the ducklings can’t wait for all the money to be pledged.

“They need action now.

“We need to get cracking on providing adequate facilities for them to move into in the spring.”

The rewards include car stickers, 10 per cent off membership card to the shop, an invitation to visit the animal hospital and a behind the scenes tour of the hospital with unprecedented access to the animals.

You could even have an aviary named after yourself, or a loved one.

HART Wildlife Rescue needs the help of the local community to enable the redevelopment to go ahead as soon as possible.

The ducklings will be arriving and they will need a safe, sheltered outdoor home.

The aviary will also be used to rehabilitate a variety of other water birds.

To make a pledge visit peoplefund.

it/hart/