Outstanding veterinary professionals recognised at BVA Day

The awards were announced at BVA Day (formerly BVA Members’ Day) which was held at its London headquarters Mansfield Street on Thursday 26 September. The event included the association's Annual General Meeting and the election of its President and Junior Vice President.

The winners are:

Dr. Kate Higgins - BVA Council Impact Award (Bleby Cup)

The BVA Council Impact Award (Bleby Cup) is presented annually to the BVA Council member who has made an outstanding contribution at Council. This year, the award goes to Dr Kate Higgins. Kate, who qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2002, began her career in small animal practice working in the South East before joining Village Vets in Formby near Liverpool, where she is now the owner. Since being elected to BVA Council, she has represented the views of her region and ensured the voices of local members are heard and valued within Council discussions. Kate has also been closely involved in the BVA response to the ongoing Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into veterinary services through the BVA Transparency and Client Choice Working Group.

Dr. Kate Higgins said: “I was both surprised and humbled to learn I’d been selected to receive the John Bleby Cup this year. I enjoy every minute of being on Council - it’s incredible working with a group of people who are all so dedicated to serving our wonderful profession. The CMA investigation is probably one of the most important issues facing our sector at the moment, so I’m grateful to have been able to contribute to the working group and I’ve every hope that our responses and advice will continue to be of benefit in the coming months.”

Natasha Tredgold and Sinthu Devkumar - The Harry Steele-Bodger Memorial Travel Scholarship

This travel scholarship was established in 1953 to honour Mr Henry Steele-Bodger, President of the BVA in 1939-41, in recognition of his great services to the veterinary profession and to agriculture, particularly during the Second World War. The full Harry Steele-Bodger Memorial Travel Scholarship has been granted to final year University of Liverpool student Natasha Tredgold, to enable her to conduct research at the Talarak Foundation’s Conservation Breeding Centre in the Philippines. Natasha’s project investigates the effects of radio telemetry harness attachments on critically endangered Negros Bleeding Heart doves, with the findings aiming to improve the success of reintroduction programmes for this species by improving post-release monitoring and the likelihood of survival post-release.

Natasha is particularly interested in wildlife medicine and in the animal welfare impacts of veterinary interventions, both of which are central to this research project.  

Natasha said: “I’m incredibly grateful that I have been awarded the 2024 scholarship. It is a massive help towards my project, and I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to develop my interest in wildlife medicine and the animal welfare of veterinary interventions. I would recommend other students aspiring to do research within this field consider applying for this grant too. Many thanks once again to the BVA for its support.”

This year, BVA’s Trustees were so impressed by the strength of the applications for the award, that in addition to the main scholarship, they also granted a special smaller travel scholarship to Cambridge graduate Sinthu Devkumar, to support her project Evaluating Disaster Risk Reduction strategies using a One Health approach in Japan.  

Sinthu, who has just completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Change and Management, has a strong interest in One Health and hopes to pursue a career which covers the intersection between health and the environment.

Sinthu said: “This scholarship contributed greatly towards my project on One Health and Disaster Management, allowing me to travel for fieldwork and engage with a range of health and disaster experts. As someone keen to pursue a career in One Health, I’m thrilled to have received part of this scholarship and am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such an important field. I look forward to continuing similar work in the future. Thank you, BVA!"

Outgoing British Veterinary Association President Anna Judson said: “This year’s BVA achievements awards shine a light on three inspiring members of Team Vet. Kate’s hard work and contributions since joining not only BVA Council but the veterinary profession itself have been really valuable and she is so very worthy of this award recognising her dedication. We are also really impressed by Natasha and Sinthu: their projects spotlight interesting and important issues and we hope the scholarships benefit their career – we know their futures as part of the veterinary profession are bright. We look forward to seeing their achievements as time goes by. Congratulations to you all and thank you for your hard work and dedication.”