Sanctuary founder thrilled by award after 'snub'

The founder of an animal rescue who had an award nomination "paused" when he took legal action against his local council says he is taken aback to finally receive the award.

Geoff Grewcock has cared for nearly 130,000 animals since founding Nuneaton & Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in 2001.

However, in May 2022, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council imposed an abatement notice on the sanctuary after complaints made about smells. Grewcock later took the council to court over the order and won on appeal in 2024.

Because of the court action the council had put his nomination on hold, but Grewcock will now receive the award from the mayor on Tuesday.

The sanctuary founder, who relies on his own pension as well as fundraising to keep the rescue afloat, told the BBC he was surprised to hear the news

"I'm quite taken aback. It was mainly the people of Nuneaton who pushed [for] it, I knew there were some people petitioning," he said.

The council told the BBC a public nomination process was undertaken in 2025 for a range of awards, with were considered by a committee from the council.

"Geoff Grewcock was nominated previously however, noting a legal matter, which was ongoing at the time, the committee resolved to pause that nomination," a spokesperson said.

"The 2025 public nomination process returned additional nominations for Geoff Grewcock, along with other members of the community."

The committee then approved that the Borough Award of Merit would be presented during a ceremony in the mayor's parlour.

The wildlife sanctuary took the local authority to court in 2024 in a successful effort to overturn an abatement notice, which was imposed after three complaints were made about odours.

However, neighbours of the rescue, which is on a residential road, testified in court to say they had not smelt bad odours coming from it.

Under the notice, if the rescue had been found to have committed a statutory nuisance, Grewcock could have been fined up to £20,000 on each specific occasion.

District Judge David Wain overturned the notice on appeal at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

Grewcock's daughter Emma Hudson, who co-manages the rescue, told the BBC at the time that the judge called the council's 2021 investigation "incomplete" and that "no nuisance was found".

After spending approximately £30,000 on legal fees, the sanctuary accepted a £19,000 settlement from the council.

Hudson said the sanctuary decided not to push for more money as it would come "out of the public purse".

Relations between the sanctuary and the council became fraught during the time of the court action.

Grewcock said: "No one would even talk to me, I was completely snubbed by the council at one point.

"I had done everything, working for the community every day for free for 25 years.

"I didn't know what I'd done to them. It really got to me."

He added: "I was just forgotten, I didn't exist. I'd contact them and no one would speak to me."

Hudson said: "I am extremely proud of my father for everything he has achieved during the past 25 years.

"Everyone in Nuneaton knows Geoff. He has really put this town on the map and the community have always shown their support by the bucket load.

"It's heartwarming to know that this award comes from those very people."

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