Vet practice’s bid for donations raises £8,400 for rural charities
A Shropshire vet practice has celebrated its 25th anniversary by boosting rural charities to the tune of £8,400.
LLM Farm Vets held a charity auction to mark its special milestone, with 12 generously donated lots, including luxury weekend breaks, food hampers, vouchers, afternoon tea and tempting treats baked by team members, going to the highest bidders.
Around 140 people attended the auction at LLM’s Whitchurch site and helped raise £5,997 through ticket sales and auction purchases. An additional £2,400 was donated by VetPartners, a larger group of veterinary practices that LLM Farm Vets is part of. VetPartners supports fundraising by its team members by making additional donations through its charity fund.
The money raised will be divided between three charities LLM Farm Vets is supporting this year – Severn Hospice, Shropshire Rural Support and the Farming Community Network.
Severn Hospice gives specialist care and support to families across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales who are living with an incurable illness. Shropshire Rural Support provides a free confidential service for Shropshire farmers and their families and Farming Community Network supports farmers and families within the farming community and runs a confidential helpline.
LLM Farm Vets has been caring for livestock since 1999 and has sites in Whitchurch in Shropshire, Eccleshall in Staffordshire, Broughton and Higham in Lancashire and Bakewell and Needwood in Derbyshire.
Bill May, a director and one of the founding partners of LLM Farm Vets, said the event was the perfect way to celebrate the practice’s special anniversary.
Bill said: “We are absolutely delighted to have raised so much for these worthy charities through the auction. I want to say a big thank you to the people who donated auction lots, the farmers, friends and family who came to our celebration night and our team who worked so hard to make the event a success. The auction proved to be hugely exciting and great fun, with everyone getting into the spirit of things and trying to outbid each other, and the overnight stays we had on offer proved extremely popular.
“It’s hard to believe LLM Farm Vets is 25 years old, but we have a lot to celebrate and I’m proud of everything our team has done to help dairy, beef and sheep farmers keep their herds and flocks healthy. One of the biggest changes since we opened in 1999 is that we’ve grown from having one site in Shropshire to opening five additional sites in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire, which makes us one of the biggest farm veterinary practices in the UK.
“We’ve also spent a quarter of a century refining and expanding the services we deliver so we can support farmers and their animals in the best way possible, from genetic testing and embryo transfer services to tailored breeding plans and calf health clubs. Everyone who works here is truly passionate about what they do and it’s hugely rewarding to be able to support our local farmers.”
