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British Hen Welfare Trust beats 45,000 nominations to win Charity of the Year
The BHWT team collecting their award in London.

The charity is recognised for its outstanding commitment to hen welfare

British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) has won the JustGiving Charity of the Year award at a ceremony in London on 20 November 2018.

The charity, which was established in 2005 by Jane Howorth MBE, positively campaigns to improve welfare standards for laying hens and to educate the public about ‘hidden’ caged egg products in processed foods.

BHWT also work hard to rehome hens at the end of their commercial laying lives. In the UK, approximately 16 million hens are kept in colony cages. To date, the charity has rehomed over 670,000 caged hens; all of which would have been destined for slaughter.

Howorth commented on her charity: “This is all in the name of hen welfare. To say we are re-homing 68,000 hens this year alone may sound monumental but, for me, it’s about the individual hens. That’s 68,000 little lives saved, and those girls are going to raise so much awareness to improve life for all the hens left behind.”

The prize, however, came as a great surprise to Howorth and her team: “Nobody’s jaw dropped further than mine when our name was read out as winner of the Charity of the Year award. To be recognised by the UK’s biggest fundraising platform, and to have received so many nominations from the public, is awesome in the truest sense of the word. It’s a testament to our staff, volunteers and supporters that we are achieving such greatness.”

JustGiving general manager, Keith Williams, said: “We are delighted and honoured to announce the British Hen Welfare Trust as the JustGiving Charity of the Year… The Awards not only symbolise the hope, courage and determination of the human spirit in the face of adversity; it also shows how technology is able to empower people to change the world by supporting the causes they care about.”

Find out how you can support hen welfare at: https://www.bhwt.org.uk/

Image © British Hen Welfare Trust

 

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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...
News Shorts
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.