17 Mar 2025
The charity received more than 5,000 individual contacts for the first time in 2024, an increase of more than a quarter on the previous year.
Allister Webb
Job Title
A new fund-raising drive has been launched after a leading veterinary charity recorded another record year of calls for its services.
Figures from Vetlife revealed the organisation responded to more than 5,000 individual contacts for the first time in 2024 – up more than a quarter on the previous year.
Now, officials are aiming to encourage 50,000 people within the veterinary community to make a monthly £1 donation to help ensure the charity’s support services can be sustained.
The campaign has been launched via the Vetlife website, and donor relations manager Michelle Gratton said: “As demand for our services continues to rise, regular donations play a vital role in helping us plan for the future.
“By giving consistently, supporters enable us to provide ongoing assistance to those in need and ensure that the most vulnerable in our community always have somewhere to turn.”
Overall, the Vetlife Helpline handled 5,111 contacts during 2024, an increase of 26 per cent on the previous year and the equivalent of around 14 individuals every day.
A similar level of increase in requests for financial aid was also recorded, with around £70,000 in support being distributed to vets, nurses and their dependants.
A further 181 veterinary professionals also accessed mental health support through the organisation.
Vetlife president James Russell said the group anticipated the growth of need would continue, following a doubling in demand for its services over the past five years.
He added: “The increased access to Vetlife’s three services of Helpline, Financial Support and Health Support is a testament to the fantastic work of our team of volunteers, experts and support staff in both raising awareness and providing these vital services to colleagues in need and their families.
“Every penny donated and raised in support for the charity is more critical than ever in helping us to meet the needs of our community.”
The £1 a month campaign is being supported by Hill’s, while Vetlife has also begun a new partnership with the pharmaceutical firm Vetoquinol.
The initiative is focused on what the company is calling Movement May, when staff will be encouraged to seek sponsorship for their own fitness challenges.
The firm is also supporting vet and fund-raiser Oscar Sinfield in his Tour de Vet School cycling challenge later this year, while encouraging staff to get involved.
Caitrina Oakes, Vetoquinol UK and Ireland managing director, said the group was “a natural choice” to support because of its connections with vets in practice.
She added: “With colleagues speaking with vets and their teams on a daily basis, we hear first hand the enormous pressures that our community are up against.
“Through partnering with Vetlife, we can go the extra mile, placing mental and physical well-being at the forefront – helping to ensure a healthy future for our industry, and for our animals.”
