Leaya Slater, Secretariat of the BEVA Trust provides an update on how we have been supporting our international partners over the last few months and updates us on volunteering opportunities in 2021.
In December 2020 three volunteers took part in a virtual equine veterinary seminar held by the Association of Specialists of Veterinary Medicine of Ukraine (ASVMU).
Our volunteers delivered three sessions over three days covering dermatology, orthopaedics and ophthalmology/oncology. 40 vets from Ukraine and Russia benefited from the in-depth but practically based lectures delivered by Professor Derek Knottenbelt and volunteers Alex Thiemann and Ellen Singer.
Alex Thiemann said “The topics they wanted included: allergies, urticaria, allergen detection, new approaches to treatment of allergic dermatitis and pastern dermatitis in heavy horses.
I have really enjoyed the experience - it was good CPD for me to create the presentations and find out about Ukraine, and it was interesting to do the whole session with a translator. I also really enjoy looking at dermatology cases and have built up a good set of images that was great to share”.
In February 2021, BEVA Trust volunteers Joanna Gillingham, Violette Cassiers and Alex Thiemann delivered an online training course for the small veterinary team at Meru Animal Welfare Organization in Tanzania. The lectures took place live and there was plenty of interaction from the audience – all in all a great success.
Joanna Gillingham said of the experience: “the training event was well organised and it was really fulfilling to engage with our veterinary peers in Tanzania. I presented a lecture and we discussed improvements to donkey care, management, and welfare. I would definitely recommend volunteering with the BEVA Trust!”
Looking forward we are delighted to be working on a project with World Horse Welfare to support online learning for their international teams, our volunteers will be involved in workshops, pre-recorded demonstrations and live lectures between April and July on a variety of topics from dentistry to common diseases.
We are also excited to share that we will be restarting our Education and Welfare Clinics in partnership with the BHS in the Autumn 2021, keep an eye out in eNews for dates and locations.
To volunteer with the BEVA Trust or to find out more, please contact Leaya Slater.