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Solihull animal hospital earns environmental accreditation
"Ensuring we have an environmentally sustainable hospital is extremely important to us" - Toby Gemmill, managing director at Willows.
Willows Veterinary Centre has earned silver accreditation for its sustainability. 

Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Centre in Solihull has been recognised by Investors in the Environment (iiE) for its sustainable practices.

The small animal hospital set up a dedicated 'Green Giants' group, and set up initiatives across the practice, including switching all lighting to LED energy-saving lights, creating new waste streams, and reducing single-use items. 

Willows has seen significant results from its sustainable initiatives, including an eight per cent overall drop in electricity usage across the hospital, a seven per cent fuel reduction, and a 12 per cent rise in recycling. 

Dave Hindley, building and facilities manager at Willows, who is spearheading the scheme, commented: “Willows is very proud of this iiE Silver award. 

“We want to continue to make significant environmental savings across our site, by looking into technology such as solar panels, electric car charging points and an electric van, which will help take us to the next level and reduce our carbon footprint even more.” 

April Sotomayer, from iiE, added: “Congratulations to Willows on achieving this silver award for its work on reducing its environmental impact and engaging its staff with some fantastic waste and carbon reduction initiatives, in particular.

“This shows a clear determination to prioritise its sustainability efforts in line with our independent accreditation scheme and we’re excited to see them go even further in the future.” 

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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.

 

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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.