Goff is one of our most loved volunteers.  His cheery personality and cheeky persona have endeared him to his colleagues over the years.

He is a roofing contractor by trade, but for the past twelve years Goff has spent as much time as possible at Wildlife Aid.  In 1996 he spotted a leaflet at one of his daughters’ schools, and volunteered immediately.

Goff’s love of nature began as a boy when he was fascinated by birds; “I used to spend hours just watching them, seeing how many species I could name”.  It is clear to anybody who has volunteered with Goff just how passionate he is about our charity and it’s patients. 

His dedication to Wildlife Aid has meant that Goff has been involved in many rescues, the most memorable of which is his first.  He was called out to rescue an injured fox which could hardly walk, and ended up chasing it through six gardens!  Luckily for us, the antics of Goff’s many rescues are often caught on camera, as he has made regular appearances on Wildlife SOS alongside Simon Cowell.

The experience that Goff has gained during his time at Wildlife Aid has earned him the role of Supervisor.  His sound knowledge of our British wildlife, and his relentless dedication assures that the patients are in good hands.

When Goff can drag himself away from the centre he likes to spend time walking, cycling and visiting the pub!  The Bradley family is extended to include no less than five cats by the name of Chesney, Terrance, Mini, Louis and Ralph!

Steve has been volunteering at Wildlife Aid since June 2007.  Although not our longest serving volunteer, he has certainly made a big impact.

From an early age Steve was an avid nature lover; “I’ve always been a lover of wildlife ever since I was a kid…I remember bringing injured Blackbirds and Pigeons home to my parents and looking after them until they were well enough to be released”. 

His need to help others led Steve to a career in firefighting, seeing him rise through the ranks to his current position of Watch Manager.  The added bonus of being a firefighter is his shift work at the London Fire Brigade which enables him to spend all his spare time at the centre.

Mirroring his civilian career, Steve’s commitment to Wildlife Aid has seen him rise through the ranks to become a supervisor.  He often provides cover for our vet nurses Sara and Hazel, and has become a regular on Wildlife SOS as he goes out with Simon on rescues and releases.  Steve’s knowledge of British wildlife, his ability to treat injured animals and his rescue prowess are improving daily.  His friendliness, sense of humor and generous nature make him a popular figure at Wildlife Aid with both volunteers and members of the public.

Steve sums up what Wildlife Aid means to him; “Through helping the wildlife that has been injured or made homeless by human means, I hope I go a small way to making a difference and redress nature’s balance”.

The best news of all is that Steve met his partner Bev, a fellow volunteer, at Wildlife Aid.  They are expecting their first cub in February 09!

Pat is a well known face at Wildlife Aid as she has been volunteering here for over ten years.  Her dedication to the centre, vast knowledge of animal welfare and tenacious personality has meant that she often supervises shifts.  Nicknamed “The Rottweiler” (but never to her face), Pat does not suffer fools gladly!

Despite her often misunderstood, sometimes prickly exterior, she has a wicked sense of humor and a kind heart.  Her love of animals, and the stress of her job as a Bank Manager, led Pat to begin volunteering for Wildlife Aid.  She has since retired, enabling her to work at least three shifts per week at the centre.  She has been known however, to “pop” in when we may be short-staffed, and can regularly be found in the laundry room colour-coding the towels!

Pat is a reliable orphan feeder at the centre, having a special affinity with the squirrels.  She loves their sense of fun and “joie de vivre”.  She often takes the very small or sick squirrels home, and finds it especially rewarding when they make a full recovery. 

When not at Wildlife Aid, Pat indulges her other passion, her Granddaughter Talia.  She often records Wildlife SOS for Talia to watch, and it’s especially fun when Granny is on the TV.  Despite being outgoing and outspoken, Pat does everything she can to avoid being filmed for Wildlife SOS!

Of the charity, Pat says “I became a volunteer to work with animals but I have made many good friends over the years, which is a great bonus.”  We say that Wildlife Aid would certainly not be the same without her.  Thanks Pat!

Ron has volunteered at Wildlife Aid now for 12 years.  His favourite birds that are brought in to the centre are the owls for their large beautiful eyes and soft feathers.  Ron occasionally goes out on rescues, his most memorable was getting lost on Epsom common with a family of Canada geese in tow!

These four lovely ladies come as a team on Tuesday afternoons.  Val is the relative newcomer compared to the other three who have volunteered for over 11 years.  During their time at Wildlife Aid they have forged great friendships with each other, and share similar pastimes in reading, walking and spending time with their families.  All four ladies are like-minded with a passion for British wildlife, and feel privileged to be able to work so closely with our native mammals and birds.  Cindy, Val and Margaret insist that they don’t have a favourite animal at the centre, however Libby does have a soft spot for hedgehogs.  Between them they have ten cats and four dogs at home!

At 18 years old Sam is one of our youngest volunteers and has been at Wildlife Aid for 1 year.  He is currently studying for A levels in Biology, Maths and Chemistry at Esher College.  Sam recently took part in filming for BBC’s The One Show, and he did a fantastic job at representing the volunteers at Wildlife Aid.  In his spare time Sam enjoys fishing, climbing and mixed martial arts.

After 50 years of working in the city Alan decided he needed to do something fulfilling, so he joined Wildlife Aid.  Since he began volunteering five years ago Alan has been on many rescues, the most memorable of which was on Christmas morning to rescue a collapsed roe deer.  He was also involved in the rescue of a colony of almost fifty pipistrelle bats stuck in a drainage system!

After her husband Alan started volunteering, it didn’t take long for Jilly to follow suit.  Both Jilly and Alan get involved in home orphan feeding, Jilly’s favorite being the squirrels for their cuteness and cuddliness.  At home they have three British shorthair cats and a rescue German Shepherd, however their pet parrot rules the roost over all of them!

Mike was a longtime fan of Wildlife SOS when he decided to become a volunteer.  In real life he is a Physicist/University lecturer turned Genealogist, at Wildlife Aid he can regularly be seen falling over or getting scratched by brambles out on rescues.  In his spare time Mike plays cricket for Englefield Green C.C. 

Trisha volunteers twice a week and has done so for over four years.  Her favorite animals at Wildlife Aid are the squirrels due to their cheeky temperament, and she often takes them home during the orphan season for round-the-clock feeding.  Trisha describes her time at the centre as “A new and wonderful retirement!”

Jenny, otherwise known as “Nutty” has volunteered for 8 years now after falling in love with Wildlife Aid on one of our open days.  She volunteers twice a week and describes the orphan season (our busiest time starting in Spring) as “A time full of hope”.  In her spare time Jenny enjoys photography and pampering her tortoise Daisy.

Angela had wanted to work with animals since childhood, so jumped at the chance when she saw an advertisement for Wildlife Aid.  Her speciality is rearing baby rabbits, although she also gets involved with the home feeding of many other mammals and birds.  In her spare time Angela likes to walk her Jack Russell and Beagle, and enjoys gardening.