A VITAL wildlife rescue centre will be celebrating the New Year in 2015 by picking up the keys to its smart new Cricklade home.

After months of fundraising, Oak and Furrows wildlife rescue centre has announced it will be moving to its new home at Blake Hill Nature Reserve in January 2015.

The centre, which has been running for 20 years, had to raise £225,000 to move from its old, and considerably smaller, Somerford Keynes home to a former air base owned by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. It was awarded planning permission to go ahead with the build at the end of 2013.

General manager at Oak and Furrows Barry Branigan said the move was going well so far but that staff were still looking for volunteers to help speed things up.

"Almost all the funding is in place now," said Barry. "We're hoping for a January opening."

Poet Pam Ayres, who is a patron for Oak and Furrows, visited the new site earlier this week to cut the first piece of turf to the wildlife centre's new home.

Volunteers are needed to help move everything to the new base, as well as helping feed the animals, keep the area clean and go out on collections to pick up sick or injured wildlife.

The new site, which has more up-to-date facilities than the current Oak and Furrows home, stretches across two acres and staff are also looking for anyone willing to help fund a new education centre planned.

To find out more about donating, call 01285 862439.