Eastbourne vet practice celebrates 80 years

Staff have reflected on the “remarkable achievement” of their practice celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

St Anne’s Vets in Eastbourne has marked the milestone through a range of initiatives.

Running from April until September, the practice has endeavoured to perform “80 random acts of kindness”, with team members gifting curated bags to clients of their choice featuring treats, toys, vouchers and, in select cases, £50 credit or a complimentary consultation.

Meanwhile, “Fetch Fridays” and “Throw Tuesdays” have seen the team handing out specially designed anniversary tennis balls to clients.

Carnival

The team has also taken part in Eastbourne Carnival and held a staff celebration, and in September it will host an open day featuring talks on dentistry and imaging, a practice tour, a children’s corner and engagement from local charity partners.

Founded by vet Bob Comyn and his wife Mo in 1946 in a terraced house with a dining room that doubled as a consultation room and operating theatre – with instruments sterilised on a gas ring – the practice now boasts three branches across Eastbourne.

St Anne’s said it is now home to 50 associates, including 14 vets and 23 nursing staff, with a combined tenure within the group alone exceeding 500 years.

Accreditation

In 2021, the group became part of Linnaeus. In 2023, the St Anne’s Road hospital was accredited with a silver-level Cat Friendly Clinic award and since last year has held RCVS outstanding accreditation.

Clinical director Ben Capehorn said: “Reaching our 80th anniversary is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the generations of colleagues who have dedicated themselves to caring for Eastbourne’s pets and their owners.

“What makes St Anne’s special is our people. The passion, expertise and compassion shown by our team every day ensure we continue to evolve and provide the highest standards of veterinary care for our community.

“It is a privilege to be part of the next chapter in St Anne’s story.”

Lead nurse Abigail Lloyd described handing out the tennis balls as one of her “top five favourite things to do at work”.

Practice manager Cara Jeffery, who has organised the celebrations, added: “The smiles, laughter and creation of beautiful moments and memories for patients, clients and the team is just wonderful, and energy levels that we aim to see us through at least another 80 years.”