The wildlife rescue at Trent Park, just over the Enfield border from East Barnet, says it needs £40,000 to keep going. A local appeal has raised £9,915 so far.
The wildlife rescue centre in Trent Park says it needs to raise £40,000 to secure its future. A public appeal for it had reached £9,915 from 242 donations by Tuesday afternoon, according to the appeal’s GoFundMe page.
The Trent Park Animal Centre is run by the Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (Enfield), known as WRAS. It sits off Cockfosters Road in Trent Park, in the borough of Enfield, about a mile and a half from East Barnet village. Its postal address is Barnet EN4, and it is the nearest wildlife rescue for many households in the east of our borough.
Why the centre is asking for help
The charity’s own website now leads with the appeal. It says the £40,000 “will secure the Centre’s operations until next spring and help secure its future”, and that “we still have a long way to go”.
The appeal page, set up in September by Southgate resident Elena Phrydas, sets out the pressures:
- rent, staff costs and the price of food and medication have all gone up
- the centre cannot take in as many animals as need help
- some pens stand empty because the charity cannot afford to repair them
If the centre had to close, the appeal says, WRAS would have to try to rehome hundreds of animals and birds, and any that could not be rehomed might have to be put down.
The appeal’s GoFundMe target has been raised in steps as donations came in, from £6,500 in September to £11,000 on Monday. The £40,000 the charity says it needs is the larger figure.
Ms Phrydas has also designed a poster for the appeal and had 500 printed. She says they are now up in shops, cafes, vets and on noticeboards around Barnet and Enfield. The artwork was made with AI, she says, using real photographs of animals at the centre as the starting point.
What the accounts show
WRAS is a registered charity, number 1060452. Its financial history on the Charity Commission register shows how tight things are.
| Year to 31 December | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £147,490 | £175,110 |
| 2022 | £218,780 | £202,200 |
| 2023 | £205,290 | £218,160 |
| 2024 | £177,200 | £200,920 |
| 2025 | £218,350 | £199,040 |
The charity spent more than it took in during three of the last five years. The register records no income from government grants or contracts. The centre’s website describes it as “100% funded by kindness”.
The register lists four trustees and 18 volunteers, and says it works throughout London as well as in Hertfordshire and Essex.
Who runs it
WRAS has run the centre since 1985. It takes in sick, injured and orphaned wildlife, as well as unwanted farm animals. Animals that can go back to the wild are released; those that cannot become long-term residents.
The centre is run by Barry and June Smitherman, who were both made MBEs in 2005 for services to wildlife, according to the appeal. Visitors can walk round the centre, and there is a play area and a tea shop.
What it means for you
- To give: donations go through the GoFundMe appeal or the donate page on the WRAS website.
- If you find an injured wild animal: the centre’s emergency line is 020 3161 6705, open 9am to 5pm. The charity’s website also gives 07970 141282 for wildlife emergencies in the same hours, and suggests the RSPCA or St Tiggywinkles out of hours.
- To visit: the centre is in Trent Park, Cockfosters Road, EN4 0PS. Check the visit page before you go.
Barnet residents looking for green space closer to home can find more in our guide to walks near Barnet.
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