AS fairy godmother to Britain's battery hens, Jane Howorth has dedicated much of her life towards transforming the lives of creatures kept in almost unimaginably wretched conditions.

It is now four years since Jane set up the Battery Hen Welfare Trust, the UK's first registered charity dedicated to the welfare of these feathered friends.

Her work as attracted a string of celebrity supporters, including TV chefs Jamie Oliver and Anthony Worrall-Thompson, actress Amanda Holden and poet Pam Ayres.

And it has just won the Campaign of the Year gong at the House of Lords in the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Animal Action Awards.

It all began in the late 1970s, when Jane was shaken by a television documentary on chicken factory farming.

"I was shocked and upset by what I saw," said Jane.

"I felt so sorry for these hens locked in small cages — it was no life for them."

Jane regularly fired off letters to local politicians to improve food labelling and increase the supply of free -range eggs in retail outlets.

But it wasn't until 1997, when Jane and her husband, Robin, bought a 13-acre smallholding near Chulmleigh, that phase two of Jane's rescue plan could swing into action.

"A nearby battery hen farmer allowed me to take home hens he no longer needed," recalled Jane.

"I originally wanted to pick up 12, but returned with 36 because I found it so difficult to leave them.

"They are very responsive to affection and very communicative. They are just like cats and dogs with feathers."

Jane started to visit local farms and slaughterhouses to try to acquire unwanted hens — and she says she always found rearers to be very positive.

"They have never charged me any money and always lend me crates to take the hens home in," she said.

"They are always friendly, helpful, courteous and, most importantly, many are willing to consider change."

Once rescued, many of the hens go on to live long lives and lay eggs in their new, happier environments.

"When I decided I wanted to rehome hens on a larger scale, I lined up a list of people who wanted to adopt a hen and went to a local farm and brought home 100," says Jane.

"Now, whenever we pick up a hen it has a home waiting for it."

And anyone who wants to adopt a hen must go through a basic screening process. Jane explains: "We make sure that everybody is aware of what they are taking on, that they have adequate accommodation and know how to care for the hens."

Jane's charity now operates on a national level and has 70 volunteers working for her across the country, along with five paid members of staff in the offices in Chulmleigh.

The Battery Hen Welfare Trust has gained plenty of media attention over the years, appearing on The One Show, Richard and Judy and even on Australian and South Korean TV.

"The charity went down so well in South Korea that the TV crew came back to film more of us," recalls Jane, "I think it was because they found what we did so unusual."

To date the Battery Hen Welfare Trust has rescued and rehomed a staggering 178,000 hens.

There are currently 18 million battery hens in the UK producing cheap eggs for the consumer. Most of these eggs are used in the processed food industry and therefore are hidden from view, just like the hens in their cages. But from January 1, 2012, laying hens will be banned from being kept in tiny "barren" cages. The replacement "enriched" cage is designed to hold up to 90 birds and gives the hens more freedom to move.

The effects of the legislation my be diluted by the fact that produc ers in other countries are already gearing up to fill the resulting void at the bottom end of the market.

Jane said: "The Battery Hen Welfare Trust would rather see British enriched caged production than imported caged eggs.

"But what I would really like to see as many birds living free range as possible and to encourage people to support British food and farmers."

The profile of the Battery Hen Welfare Trust will rise further next April when the BBC screens a documentary is is due to shoot in the new year. Jane is also an increasingly frequent guest on local and national radio shows as she fights the corner of the humble hen.

"I'm not sure what the documentary is going to be called yet," says Jane. "But it's going to be all about the chickens they're going to be the stars. People care about their welfare more now."

The Battery Hen Welfare Trust has also launched an online shop to raise extra funds for the cause. Chicken paraphernalia up for grabs includes Christmas cards, branded clothing, fiction and non fiction books, diaries, mugs, recyclable bags and umbrellas.

Jane says: "The online shop has been going really well, with orders stacking up as we near the Christmas period. Now that we have 120 volunteers up and down the country we are getting a lot of fans and people who want to do anything they can for a good cause. One of the biggest sellers has been the egg box stickers so battery hen owners can actually market the eggs which are laid by their new pets, whether they sell them on or just give them to friends.

"We are hoping to expand the range in due course, as and when people bring new ideas to the table."

Despite Jane's love of animals, she is not a vegetarian. She explains: "I do eat meat, as long as it is British and reared locally. For Christmas I will be tucking into a locally produced leg of lamb." she said. "But I cannot bring myself to eat chicken — I prefer them with their feathers intact."

For more details call 01769 580310 or visit www.bhwt.org.uk.