New Director at VBF

The VBF welcomed a new director, Rosie Allister BSc Hons BVSc MSc MRCVS, to the Board at their recent AGM.  

Rosie Allister qualified from Liverpool Vet School in 2005 and subsequently completed an MSc in Public Health Research at the University of Edinburgh College of Medicine studying mental health and wellbeing in vet students. She is currently finishing a prospective cohort study investigating mental ill-health mental well-being, job satisfaction and job performance among newly qualified veterinary surgeons as a PhD. She lectures and runs workshops on stress management at several vet schools, as well as having an active role within the Samaritans.

She has also been the Chair of Vet Helpline since 2010 and has a particular interest in how the VBF support services, Vet Helpline in particular, can better reach out to those vets most in need through developments such as the new Vet Helpline email service which will be launched this year.  Rosie Allister also works as a locum in small animal practice, so has first hand experience of the challenges that vets in practice encounter.

In 2011 Rosie ran 12 marathons in 12 months to raise money for the Veterinary Benevolent Fund, and is currently planning a similar fundraising event for 2013.

Speaking at the AGM, VBF President Dr Lydia Brown said: “We are delighted to welcome a young vet to the VBF, who not only has experience of veterinary practice, but has also studied the stress that vets encounter in their professional lives.”  

Rosie Allister commented: “I am looking forward to working more closely with the VBF to provide effective assistance for vulnerable vets.”

Three other Directors were re-elected to the Board to serve a further term of three years – Bob Young, now retired after 50 years in practice, Nick Short from the Royal Veterinary College and Karen Coumbe from Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic.