Introducing the candidates for election to the BVNA Council

The candidates for the 2023 BVNA Council election have released their manifestos and voting is underway . Here ' s a round-up of the hard-working SVNs and RVNs who would like to represent you .

BVNA president Charlotte Pace says : “ Being a BVNA Council member is a tremendous privilege , but it ' s also a big responsibility as BVNA is the only representative voice of the veterinary nursing profession . We represent veterinary nurses working right across the profession – from private practices and large corporations to charities and education – all of whom are heard and advocated for .

“ BVNA is committed to supporting and enhancing the careers of veterinary nurses , both now and in the future . We are involved in numerous projects , including the high-profile Protect the Title campaign , and we work with lots of other organisations , such as the RCVS , BVA , Vetlife and ABTC , to ensure the needs and opinions of veterinary nurses are considered in joint campaigns and initiatives .

“ The successful candidates will shape the future of BVNA and , in turn , the veterinary nursing profession . They can make change possible . You , too , can play an integral part in the future direction of BVNA by voting for your preferred candidates and the issues relevant to you .”

Poppy Meredith

I ' m an enthusiastic and dedicated third-year student veterinary nurse ( SVN ) and companion animal behaviour student . At times I ' ve felt overwhelmed and struggled with my work – life balance , so I want to reduce the stigma around mental health and reassure other SVNs and VNs that it ' s OK not to feel OK all of the time .

Ellis Stokes

Julia Hamilton

Kate Davies

My veterinary career began 8 years ago as an animal care attendant ( ACA ) and I ' m now a first-year SVN . I ' ve overcome many challenges on my career journey and hope to encourage other ACAs and SVNs to develop their careers and deepen their passion for the veterinary nursing profession .

I ' m a first-year SVN working in a first opinion hospital , with experience as a nursing care assistant in a referral centre . I believe VNs deserve more recognition and appropriate reimbursement . I ' m passionate about mental wellbeing and want to address compassion fatigue in our profession .

I ' m a second-year SVN , with 7 years ' experience in the veterinary profession . I want to help raise awareness of the role of VNs . I also believe SVNs should have access to a CPD allowance to help with our studies , and I would like to improve support for SVN education .

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