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Free Range Friday to raise money for rehoming centre
Free Range friday
BHWT urge people to bake cakes on Friday, 23 September to help raise funds towards a new training and rehoming centre.

Hen charity urge people to eat cakes in return for a donation

A hen charity has launched an appeal to raise funds for a new rehoming and education centre.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) has submitted a planning application to build the centre at its base in South Molton, Devon. They expect the build to cost
around £200,000.

Once established, the centre will serve both as a place to re-home caged hens and as a space for holding educational talks and training.

The campaign is set to launch on the first ever British Hen Welfare Day (BHWD) on Friday, 23 September which, the charity hope, will become an annual event.

This year, the BHWT urge people
to get involved by holding a Free Range Friday and invite their friends and family to eat cakes in exchange for a donation towards the centre.

Staff at the charity's headquarters will also get involved by baking cakes and bringing them into the office. We’re also told they will be doing something ‘a little eggstra special’ on the day - details of which will be revealed soon.

“This year has already seen the British Hen Welfare Trust achieve some truly wonderful things, from re-homing our 500,000th hen to carrying on making strides in improving the lives of commercial hens,” commented charity founder Jane Howorth.

“This year we are also looking to build our first flagship re-homing and education centre at Hen Central in North Devon. But to do that we need the help of our wonderful supporters, and we believe that together you can all help us towards our goal.

“So whether it’s inside or out, hot or cold and whether you’ve got 50 people attending or five, get the cakes in, get the kettle boiled and get eating!”

If your practice would like to take part in the event, please contact corinne.hendrie@bhwt.co.uk for an information pack. 

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.