Tricia Colville abseiled down the ICC in Birmingham for the charity PetSavers.

Tricia Colville starts her term as president with a charity abseil

The BSAVA's new president Tricia Colville has sailed into her role - backwards down the ICC in Birmingham.

She completed a charity abseil down the building to raise money for PetSavers at the BSAVA's Congress last week, where she was welcomed as the new president.

Commenting on her role, Tricia said: "It's an honour…but I don't see it as just my year, it's also for the team of volunteers around me; a team I'm very privileged to be able to lead.

"I have got so much out of the BSAVA that has been useful in my own daily life and work and I want to have discussions with people about how the BSAVA can help their development too."

Tricia was previously a chair of PetSavers, a charity division of BSAVA that funds clinical research into the prevention and treatment of pet diseases. During her presidency she hopes to raise the charity's profile.

"The different roles you have do influence the slant you take when you go forward," she said. "That’s one of the reasons I signed up to the abseil, anything I can do I will."

Tricia said BSAVA's membership is very dear to her heart and she hopes to improve regional communications, support for professional development and expand the volunteer network.

"I realise the members and the volunteers are very much a community, I think that’s what is very special about the BSAVA. You have to understand the pressures that first opinion practitioners are under and the questions they are being asked.

"Fundamentally to me we have wanted very much to get back to continuing to improve our communications within the regions."

Image © Steve Burden Photography