Meet our team

Trevor Weeks MBE – Founder & Operations Director

Trevor Weeks MBE

Trevor is East Sussex WRAS’s founder. Although he started WRAS in 1996, he has been undertaking wildlife rescue and conservation work since 1985 when he was just 13 years old.

Over the years Trevor has gained a lot of experience and knowledge working alongside various veterinary surgeons as well as gain knowledge from organisations like St Tiggywinkles, Vale Wildlife Rescue, Fox Project, Folly Wildlife Rescue, Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue, The Swan Sanctuary Shepperton, RSPCA Mallydams, Sussex Bat Hospital and other.

Trevor originally trained as a computer programmer and even worked in London for a while, until he gave up this career due to his love of wildlife. He took on a role as an administrative assistant at International Animal Rescue, before moving over to British Divers Marine Life Rescue and becoming their National Co-ordinator for 7 years and also if trained as an Advanced Marine Mammal Medic. It was not until the summer 2010 that Trevor took on a paid position within East Sussex WRAS thanks to an ongoing grant from International Animal Rescue. Trevor like all WRAS staff works for minimum wage and still continues to undertake many hours on a voluntary basis. Trevor is on call almost 7 days a week every week of the year at time he works up to 120 hours a week.
Trevor has a Diploma in Wildlife First Aid & Rehabilitation, but has also undertaken various other courses including the British Hedgehog Preservation Societies Basic Hedgehog First, Care and Rehabilitation Course and a human First Aid course. He has also qualified and trained as a Lay Vaccinator with the Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency in October 2013.

Katie Nunn Nash – Lead Casualty Manager

Katie started as a feed and clean shift volunteer in January 2015 due to her love for wildlife. As her love of wildlife grew, she expanded her role by becoming a rescue volunteer as well as joining the orphan rearing team. When an Animal Care Assistant Role became available, Katie jumped at the chance to apply, and was successful in her application. Katie is learning new things from the team on a daily basis, and has now worked her way up to Lead Casualty Centre Manager, and is the Orphan Rearing Leader.

Whilst at WRAS, Katie has attended the British Hedgehog Preservation Society's 'Basic Hedgehog First Aid and Rehabilitation Course' in conjunction with Vale Wildlife Hospital, and is now training for her diploma in Wildlife First Aid and Rehabilitation.

Kathy Martyn – Rehabilitation Supervisor

Kathy Martyn

Kathy has worked around animals since the age of 12, helping at local stables, helping voluntarily at a veterinary practice for 4 years through the school holidays and evenings before being given a paid part time job there until she left at 18, as well as also volunteered at a local RSPCA rehoming kennels. Kathy joined WRAS in 2008 and her first rescue involved tackling an injured adult deer. Working her way up through the organisation Kathy has learned many skills primarily from our consultant vet Simon Harris learning WRAS’s procedures and protocols. Kathy has also helped out in a supportive role with training and rescue work with British Divers Marine Life Rescue and has spent time learning with other rescue organisations like Vale Wildlife Rescue, Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue, St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital and the Sussex Bat Hospital. Kathy has also completed the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and Vale Wildlife Rescue Basic Hedgehog First Aid, Care and Rehabilitation Course and is studying for her Diploma in Wildlife First Aid and Rehabilitation.

Kathy has been in the thick of most of WRAS’s major rescues getting her hands dirty and has built up an extensive experience in wildlife first aid, rescue and rehabilitation. Kathy now specialises in the pigeon and dove rearing, rescue, first aid, and treatment at WRAS but also co-ordinates our over wintered Hedgehogs ensuring they all go back to where they belong.

Karen Francis - Casualty Manager

Karen began volunteering for WRAS in 2016 on the orphan rearing shift throughout the summer. Then during 2017 a summer job came up for an animal care assistant and she applied straight away. Ever since then she has gained more and more experience with doing a Wildlife First Aid and Rehabilitation course and eventually becoming a full time member of staff.

Holly Davis - Animal Care Assistant

Holly began volunteering in December 2015 for a student work placement requirement from Plumpton College while she was studying Level 2 Animal Management. She completed her required hours for her course, and then stayed on to help with rescues and general maintenance around the centre, and then never left! Holly has now landed herself a job as a part time animal care assistant. She feels that she learnt way more from practical experience here at WRAS than she did at college, and she learnt very quickly from shadowing Katie and Karen.

Ellie Langridge - Volunteer and Student Coordinator

Ellie has always been an animal lover ever since she was a toddler she would be out in the garden finding toads, snails and slow worms! "I knew I needed to work with animals for the rest of my life, I simply just couldn't see myself doing anything else!". Ellie studied Level 3 Animal Management at Plumpton College from 2013-2015. She volunteered at Drusillas for a few years, and realised zoo keeping wasn't for her. Then she found WRAS in 2017 and volunteered as a rescuer on a Thursday, until being offered the job as Volunteer and Student Coordinator in 2018. "I love my job, I have the perfect balance of caring for injured wildlife, plus educating volunteers and students about how to care for wildlife. I feel like I am making a difference".

Murrae Hume – Trustee, Treasurer, Rescuer and Company Secretary

Murrae Hume

Murrae and his wife Valerie joined WRAS in 1999. Shortly after moving to Sussex they noticed that a duck on the pond adjacent to their house had an injured wing. That weekend they attended an open day at Hailsham Cats Protection league where WRAS had a small display. Trevor visited to check on the duck and that is where it all started. WRAS at that time was a small rescue organisation relaying on local vets or other organisations to provide any long term care, and the occasional use of a volunteer’s spare bedroom or garden shed.

Murrae worked with others to obtain Limited company status followed by Charity registration which they achieved in April 2005. Murrae was the first company chairman and is the only one of the original directors/trustees remaining. After a couple of years as Chairman he switched to become Company Secretary and later also took on the role of Treasurer. Despite the time spent on administration he has also spent a lot of time on the rescue side often covering the rescue line, he now covers rescues on Sundays. Until recently he also helped the feed and clean shift on a Tuesday morning. He is also qualified as a Marine Mammal Medic and has spent time working with seal pups in Scotland.

Away from WRAS, Murrae worked as a Police Officer in Surrey for thirty years and is now still employed full time by Surrey Police in a civilian capacity as a Licensing Enforcement Officer keeping an eye on licensed premises on the Eastern side of the County. Although Work and WRAS do not allow for much spare time, Murrae still escapes occasionally to follow his other hobby as Assistant District Commissioner for East Surrey Scouts.

Veterinary staff

East Sussex WRAS works with 11 different veterinary practices across the county, but has two registered vets who are responsible for overseeing the procedures following by WRAS’s Care Team and for providing some veterinary surgery.

Lourdes Cortes Saez MRCVS

On 15th November 2021 WRAS saw veterinary surgeon Lourdes start her new paid part time role at WRAS. She moved down from Chesterfield for the role brings with her wildlife experience including a year’s internship at the RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire back in 2018 as well as having worked as a locum vet for the centre until this autumn. Her work has also included undertaking emergency work with Vets Now Chesterfield and at Lincvet in Lincoln. Lourdes is also currently studying a Masters in Conservation Medicine. Lourdes experience has not just been in the UK, as originally from Spain she has spent a year working at a small animal internship at Rof Codina Veterinary Hospital, University Santiago de Compostela Lugo, Spain where she trained in diagnostic imaging, surgery, anaesthesia and internal medicine. Her experience with wildlife abroad has taken her to the South Floria Wildlife Center Fort Lauderdale in the USA assisting in the treatment and rehabilitation of wild animals as well as for GREFA a wildlife hospital in Madrid Spain. She has also shadowed and assisted in the treatment of marine turtles, marine mammals and fish at Oceanographic Valencia Spain in their veterinary department.

Mike Symons MRCVS

Vet Mike Symons operating on a fox.

Mike has recently joined our team after retiring from Cliffe Vets in Lewes. Mike now helps provide emergency support, advice and out of hours treatment plus routine regular visits. Mike is also now invovled in helping to train WRAS staff and volunteers.

Volunteers

WRAS has a wide variety of volunteers from young students aged 16 plus undertaking work experience for college up to mature volunteers who have retired and want to spend time helping wildlife. WRAS has over 100 volunteers working a variety of roles from rescue work to feed and clean shifts. These are just a few example of some of our volunteers.

Jack Ley - General Volunteer

"Originally I began volunteering at WRAS to gain work experience for my college course at Plumpton. Now, 3 years later I am still coming in once a week to care for the casualties as well as assisting with rescues and releases. I feel like I have learnt not only about wildlife, but also about myself. Volunteering has helped me become more confident in talking with the public, as well as increasing my knowledge of British wildlife and the welfare needs of the animals. Throughout my journey I have not only made friends at WRAS but family. Every Thursday I come in and work alongside the same hardworking volunteers each week to care for the casualties. We all have the same motive, to help these animals survive. One of my best rescues involved saving a guillemot covered in oil on Eastbourne beach. I’ll never forget the thrill of capturing her knowing we could get her treated, washed and released back in the wild."

Katey Edmunson - Feed & Clean Shift Volunteer

After 42 years in the National Health Service, Katey retired and felt like it was time to try something new and exciting! She began volunteering in 2014 on a Thursday and Friday morning. Katey also helps bring new volunteers along through doing taster sessions whenever she can, she’s a wonderful teacher and is great at explaining WRAS to new people! “5 years later I love it more and more every day” Katey said. “Whatever I give, I get back one thousand times, often sad, always rewarding and never dull, volunteering at WRAS is amazing and a total privilege”. “It’s the best thing I have ever done, why don’t you try it?”

Andrew Loftus - Rescue Volunteer

I have been Volunteering at WRAS for 6 ½ years with my wife Charlotte. We decided to join WRAS because we wanted make a difference and since then we have never looked back. We do a variety of jobs from feeding and cleaning shifts to doing rescues and orphan rearing we love every minute of it, seeing the rewards of the hard work is worth it. My best experiences with WRAS is seeing the variety of casualties from the smallest to the largest coming into care and learning so much about them with so much more to learn, every shift is, different from the last as it can change so much each week and the anticipation for what you will see is intriguing. My best moment was helping rescue “Norman” the Red Footed Booby which somehow had strayed from the Galapagos Islands. Seeing the diversity of animals we have is fascinating and educational , so your never short of things to see and do but all in all I would never change what I do with my wife at WRAS.

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