New £150,000 clinic set to open as university’s Vet School expands

A new replica veterinary clinic is set to open at Aberystwyth University as Wales’ only School of Veterinary Science expands.

The investment, worth around £150,000, in the Veterinary Education Centre will pay for new facilities such as waiting, examination and treatment areas along with key equipment used for small animal care.

Most of the new work to expand the Centre’s site at the University’s Penglais campus was funded by a bequest from the estate of the late Gordon Burrows.

The new investment is in addition to over £2 million that was spent to establish Aberystwyth Veterinary School, which was officially opened in 2021 by King Charles III.

Importance

The new clinic facilities will be used to train undergraduates on the University’s BVSc Veterinary Science course, run in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). They will also be used by the first ever students on Aberystwyth University’s new Veterinary Nursing degree who begin their studies later this month.

Professor Darrell Abernethy, Head of Aberystwyth University’s School of Veterinary Science, said: “As part of their learning process, it is important that our students gain experience in veterinary clinical training and an understanding of the key equipment and processes undertaken at veterinary clinics.

“We are deeply grateful for this generous bequest which allows us to take a step forward with our plans to expand our facilities and further enhance the teaching we offer at Aberystwyth.”

“Wales now has its own School of Veterinary Science that is tuned to, and meets, the needs of its own veterinary community – from providing graduates who can speak Welsh, who come from Wales and are thus more likely to stay in Wales, to supporting the profession with post-graduate training and undertaking research that is both excellent and locally relevant.

“By enhancing the profession, we support not only the farming community but pet owners, equestrian interests, national government and, in turn, Welsh society.

“That is also why Aberystwyth University has invested so heavily in creating a centre of excellence in animal health to add to its existing platforms – from state-of-the-art laboratories to world-class expertise in bovine TB research.”