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BVNA staff to abseil 120ft for charity
Sam Morgan
"I really hope BVNA members will fall for this charity as much as I have" - Sam Morgan.

Donations will go to the British Hen Welfare Trust

BVNA's president and office staff will abseil 120ft down Affinity Water Tower to raise money for their charity of the year, the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT).

President Sam Morgan will abseil down the tower on 1 May, along with BVNA's association manager Angela Mariconda and education manager Lisa Brett.

BHWT became the UK's first official registered charity for commercial laying hens in 2005 and has since rehomed more than half a million ex-battery hens.

Each year, the charity saves around 50,000 hens from slaughter and finds them good family homes through a network of over 30 pop-up centres.

Its mission is to educate the public about caged eggs hidden in processed foods such as cakes and quiche, to help people make informed shopping choices to improve hen welfare.

Sam says she first heard about the charity's work in January 2015. "Coming from a farming background and having a grandmother who was extremely fond of chickens, the plucky pictures on the hens and aims of the charity immediately impressed me.

"I wanted BVNA to help and promote not only the rehoming and hen health of backyard hens but also the aims to work with the farming industry to promote welfare for chickens.

"I really hope BVNA members will fall for this charity as much as I have, certainly just by looking at the hen photos on Facebook is enough to make you smile."

Sam, Angela and Lisa will complete their 120ft abseil in aid of BHWT on 1 May. To donate, visit their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/BVNA1

Image courtesy of BVNA

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
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NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.