A veterinary specialist has swapped her surgical scrubs for running gear to raise funds for troubled colleagues in the industry.
Jessica Grant, a European and RCVS specialist in oncology at Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Cheshire, ran the Manchester Half Marathon and raised £1,100 for Vetlife UK.
Vetlife is an independent charity that provides free and confidential support to anyone in the UK veterinary community who has emotional, health of financial problems.
Jessica said: “I really wanted to support a charity which was related to veterinary mental health as it is a topic that is so relevant and close to my heart.
“Many of my past and present colleagues, and myself included, have suffered from mental ill heath in the past and so many people I know have used and needed Vetlife when times were tough.”
Jessica’s passion to make a difference was reflected in a time of under two hours and she was understandably delighted with the outcome.
She added: “The run went as well as I could have hoped. I had been really ill in the two weeks leading up to the run so I had made the decision just to finish the run, rather than to try to get a good time.
“I think this actually made the run more enjoyable. The atmosphere at the start was electric – the camaraderie of my fellow athletes was brilliant – and the weather was perfect.
“There were loads of people lining the streets, especially in the second half of the race and their cheering really helped.
“I was a little sore and tired at the end but I had managed a sub two-hour time so I was over the moon.
“I also received an incredible amount of support, both in donations as well as good luck messages, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such a brilliant team.”
Northwest Veterinary Specialists, which is owned by Linnaeus, provides specialist referral services to veterinary practices in North West England and North and Mid-Wales.
For more information, visit www.nwspecialists.com or search for Northwest Veterinary Specialists on social media.
For more information on Vetlife, visit www.vetlife.org.uk.
