Improving Access to the RVC
Our outreach and widening participation activities help young people experience a different slice of life.
Funding from the RVC Alumni Fund enables us to inspire the next generation of veterinary and science professionals.
Together we can empower young people from all backgrounds to follow their dreams. School visits and experience days, bring animal-related and science careers to life. Individual donations from alumni and a fundraiser in loving memory of Ho Mah Soon (RVC alumnus 1968) have made a meaningful impact this year.
School Visits
144 primary school pupils uncovered science in action when they visited Boltons Park Farm during British Science Week. Five schools visited us between 20th – 30th March 2023, some in collaboration with The Country Trust. Pupils listened to educational talks, took part in practical demonstrations and learnt how to handle livestock. The visits were an enriching opportunity, with one parent commenting that,
‘The children had a fantastic time, being able to experience real-life opportunities is a day they will remember for a long time!’
The visits involved a range of activities, including:
- bandaging pet animals
- examining a cow’s skull
- looking at X-rays
- handling a chicken
Talks about the role of a farmer and shepherdess enabled the children to picture what a life working with farm animals could look like. Talks from our student ambassadors encouraged them to imagine their own path from primary school to becoming a student vet, vet nurse or scientist. Throughout the day they discovered more about the journey from ‘farm to fork’, learning about cattle, sheep, chickens and food production.
One activity included learning how to milk a cow on a life-sized cow simulator affectionately called ‘Pint’. The simulator was purchased in 2020 thanks to generous donations to the RVC Alumni Fund. This enabled the pupils to enjoy this unique hands-on experience, while protecting the welfare of the cows at the farm.
Experience Days
A collection of widening participation activities at the RVC have been funded by the family and friends of RVC alumnus, Dr Ho Mah Soon. By fundraising in his honour, they've empowered a new generation of potential students to follow in his footsteps.
Donations in loving memory
Ho Mah Soon was born in 1938 and grew up in Singapore. After leaving school he worked in a chicken factory but he dreamed of travelling. When his uncle sponsored him to study A-Levels in the UK, his life changed. He went on to study here at the RVC, and later established his own veterinary practice in Oxford, which he ran with his wife for 37 years. Driven by a strong sense of community, he kept his prices modest so he could offer accessible veterinary treatment. When he died at the age of 82, his family and friends made generous donations to the RVC Alumni Fund in lieu of flowers at his funeral. £5,000 was raised to help improve diversity within the veterinary profession.
Animal Aspirations Day
One of the activities this generous donation funded was a day run by Animal Aspirations. Pupils from local schools and a diverse range of backgrounds were invited to the RVC for talks and workshops. Young people experienced what it could feel like to be a veterinary surgeon, veterinary nurse, animal physiotherapist and animal behaviouralist.
They examined specimens in the RVC's anatomy museum and were shown how to handle calves by the RVC Biological Science Unit (BSU). One attendee told us,
"I really loved how we were learning about animals and animal care as well as interacting with them too!"
Dr Ho Mah Soon
Dr Ho Mah Soon
When you donate to the RVC Alumni Fund you can and do change lives
THANK YOU
Experience day testimonial
"It was very, very informative as there were real-life vet students always available to answer questions. I liked how varied the activities were."
School Visit testimonial
"Thank you for a wonderful day, it was so well organised and the children had a brilliant time."
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