Medivet signs sponsorship agreement with University of Central Lancashire

Medivet, a leading European veterinary care provider, has entered a multi-year sponsorship with the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) new School of Veterinary Medicine, in support of its vision to widen participation and expand the inclusion of under-represented groups in veterinary education.

The new September 2023 cohort of 78 Veterinary Medicine & Surgery (BVMS) students will be the first to access a range of financial and training support from Medivet as part of its sponsorship.

Commenting on the announcement, Peter Holland, Associate Dean for Partnerships and Enterprise in UCLan’s School of Veterinary Medicine, said: “The University has a keen focus on improving access to, and inclusion of, under-represented communities in higher education, and the new School of Veterinary Medicine holds this ethos very much at its core. We took a different approach to selecting students for our BVMS course as we wanted to widen participation in veterinary education by addressing some of the demographic or circumstantial barriers that have denied people the chances of learning and becoming the next generation of vets.”

Holland added: “As a ‘widening participation’ sponsor, Medivet is investing significantly in UCLan’s students to enable the School to realise many of its ambitions to broaden the entry pool into veterinary higher education, and is actively supporting their development across the five years for a successful future in the profession.”

Chris Cools, CEO of Medivet, said: “Our profession needs great clinical talent for a long term, healthy and sustainable future, and we are proud to support UCLan in its ambition to attract, teach and train a new generation of veterinary students from all backgrounds.”

The School aims to create a diverse body of students and ensure that irrespective of circumstances, they are supported to achieve a successful future in veterinary medicine and allied animal health professions. Communication and problem-solving skills, growth mindset development, moral reasoning, and reflectivity, form key areas of focus in the curriculum, along with integration of early clinical experience and primary care skills acquisition.

Cools added; “The School’s focus on academic and practical teaching and training will give the students a strong foundation to enter our profession, and we look forward to working closely together in these coming years to help all UCLan’s veterinary graduates prepare for a fulfilling and rewarding future in Veterinary Medicine.”    

The first cohort of 78 BVMS students enrolled in early September, with intake numbers rising to 120 per year after two years.

About Medivet

Medivet, majority-owned by CVC Partners, is a fast-growing provider of Veterinary services with over 500 First Opinion clinics and network of 24/7 Veterinary Hospitals across the UK, Spain, Germany and France. Through its unique ‘Branch Partner’ co-ownership model, its leading Brand and fully integrated model, Medivet supports a large, connected and rapidly growing community of over 1,500 devoted vets who are committed to providing Exceptional Care Always There.

For Medivet media enquiries, please contact pr@medivet.co.uk   

About The University of Central Lancashire

• The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is an international, multi-campus University tracing its roots back to 1828 and leading the way in modern learning today.
• We started life in the city of Preston, and are spending £200 million on giving our Preston Campus a world-class makeover. This includes our new £35 million Engineering Innovation Centre, and our stunning new Student Centre, which provides second-to-none care for our students. Both buildings overlook University Square, a focal point for community events and an iconic gateway linking together the city and the University.
• We’ve also grown to include campuses in Burnley (East Lancashire), Westlakes (West Cumbria) and Blackburn (Training 2000). And in 2012 we became the first British university to establish an overseas campus in Cyprus.
• Today we’re one of the UK’s largest universities, with a colleague and student community approaching 38,000 and an alumni network of over 200,000 people worldwide.
• Our employment-focused course portfolio – with more than 350 undergraduate programmes, nearly 200+ postgraduate courses and rich array of CPD courses - means we offer the skills and experience that industry needs. We’ve also joined forces with Training 2000, one of the largest Group Training Associations in the UK, and are set to become the leading provider of apprenticeships at all levels in the North West.
• Our University is Lancashire’s largest provider of graduate level qualifications and we have established links with global businesses, police constabularies, NHS trusts and more than 1,000 regional enterprises across a variety of sectors.
• Our community is made up of students from more than 100 countries around the world. And we are partnered with 123 institutions across the globe, making us a truly international University.
• We are ranked in the top 7% of universities worldwide (Center for World University Rankings 2022-23), and have a fantastic reputation for graduate outcomes, with 90% of international UCLan graduates in work or further education (HESA graduate outcomes, 2019-20).
• On the world stage, our research teams work collaboratively with major international organisations, from the United Nations to NASA. From helping to produce the world’s first photograph of a Black Hole, to proving the links between firefighting and cancer, our researchers are delivering accessible, powerful and impactful research.
• We pride ourselves on universally supporting our people, being actively liberating, inherently innovative and proudly spirited to face whatever life throws at us. These values are woven into the fabric of who we are and will always be.
• You can find us at ac.uk, or on our Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram pages.

Rachel Atkinson - Senior Press Officer
University of Central Lancashire
T:  01772 894423    E:  reatkinson@uclan.ac.uk