Veterinary charities boosted by BVA donations
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has made donations to two leading veterinary charities, the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) and the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), in recognition of and to support their vital ongoing work assisting BVA members, the wider veterinary community and animals in the UK.
BVA has continued its support of VBF this year with a £23,000 donation, as the free and confidential service it offers the veterinary community through its Helpline, health and financial support programmes is as important now as it ever has been - with recent figures showing over 60% of vets suffer high levels of job-related stress. The donation will go towards updating VBF’s new working name to Vetlife, the creation of the new website and training sessions for those involved in running the vet helpline service.
The other £23,000 donation for AWF will go towards a number of campaigns including the Links Project, a programme that trains vets and other professionals to recognise signs of domestic abuse through suspicious pet injuries and how they can then report and address this. The donation will also go towards running the 2016 AWF Discussion Forum and producing animal welfare leaflets for vets and pet owners.
Derek Williams, Chairman of BVA Board, said:
“Both of these charities do fantastic, life-changing work within the veterinary world and I’m delighted BVA have been able to make substantial donations to help them continue this. The contribution VBF makes as a lifeline for the vet community is invaluable, bringing discussions about mental health issues to the fore and offering a place for vets to turn. AWF has worked tirelessly towards improving animal welfare for many years and the Links Project is one great example of this - a brilliant programme that supports both animals and owners that may be affected by domestic abuse.”
John Moffitt, President of VBF, said:
“On behalf of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund I would like to thank the British Veterinary Association for the generous donation. We do appreciate the support that the BVA has provided to VBF over many years and we hope that we will continue to work together in the future.”
Dr Tiffany Hemming, Chair of Trustees for the AWF, said:
“We appreciate the ongoing support given to the charity by BVA and these funds will make a big difference in helping us carry out our work and move projects forward. AWF greatly values its relationship with the BVA and looks forward to continuing close collaboration on areas of mutual interest in the future.”
More information about AWF is available at www.bva-awf.org.uk and veterinary surgeons, nurses and students who would like support can contact the Vet Helpline on 0303 040 2551 or via anonymous email https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk.
