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Vets plan Mini adventure for charity
Jo and Jan
Jan (left) and Jo hope to raise £3,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK.

Suffolk pair plans 3,000-mile drive across Europe

Two friends from a veterinary practice in Suffolk are planning to drive thousands of miles across Europe in an old Mini for charity.

Vet, Jo Travers (33) and veterinary nurse, Jan Davies (35), who work at Ryder-Davies & Partners in Woodbridge, decided that they wanted to do something "completely different" to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK.

The adventure begins on 16 September and will see the pair travel across eight countries, covering 3,000-miles, in a 1972 Mini Cooper.

Jo's dad bought and restored the classic car when she was 16 so that she could learn to drive. It has since completed the London to Brighton marathon twice but now resides under a dust sheet in Jo's parent's garage.


In 2012, Jo's mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and now lives in a care home in Yaxley.

"It's been very hard and I want to do all I can to raise money to find a cure for this terrible condition," said Jo. "After a conversation in August when Jan reminded me about the Italian Job I thought that it was about time my Mini was released from the workshop and taken on a proper adventure."

Jo and Jan have already raised over £650 for Alzheimer's Research UK but hope to raise £3,000, £1 for every mile.

In May, they completed a 1,000-mile trial run to Cornwall and are now preparing for the main event.

To donate to the cause please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/3000milesinamini or for more information visit their blog at www.3000milesinamini.wordpress.com.

Image (C) Alzheimer's Research UK

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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.

 

Click here for more...
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.