Kent animal hospital supported by Johnny Depp warns of imminent closure

ITV News Meridian's Joe Coshan visited The Folly Wildlife Rescue which faces an uncertain future

A wildlife hospital whose patron is Hollywood star Johnny Depp is warning that it faces imminent closure.

The Folly Wildlife Rescue centre near Tunbridge Wells in Kent was founded in 1993 and every year treats more than 3,500 injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals and birds.

Without an influx of extra income, those in charge of the service fear they'll have to start scaling back their operations before closing for good at the end of the year.

The site, with its veterinary and x-ray unit, is expensive to run and needs between £20,000 and £30,000 a month to stay afloat.

Pressure are also felt in the summer months when costs typically rise.

A crowdfunding campaign has launched with the public being asked to help the sanctuary.

Hopes are also being placed on an upcoming auction generating a generous sum with a case of Ale owned by Sir Paul McCartney going under the hammer.

The 12-bottles of 'Old Stinkhorn Organic Ale' were donated to the late rock guitarist Jeff Beck.

His wife Sandra Beck, a patron of the charity, is supporting the emergency fundraising appeal by giving the Trust the beer, named after the eponymous fungus at hop-picking time, to sell off.

In recent years the centre has widened its audience after gaining the support of Johnny Depp, who visited staff in 2022, causing a surge in followers to the charity's social media pages.

Folly Wildlife Rescue says it receives no outside funding from and relies entirely on public donations.

The facility will be featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club programme on ITV in early November.

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