20 Mar 2024
Simon Doherty said the new Moredun Foundation body will strengthen links between farmers and vets across Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Moredun Group chief executive Tom McNeilly (third from left) and new Northern Ireland regional board chairperson Simon Doherty (third from right) with members (from left) Edward Adamson, Rona Campbell, Robin Sauce, Steven Johnston and Jonathan Moore at its inaugural meeting.
A former BVA president has been appointed to chair an animal health charity’s new regional board for Northern Ireland.
Simon Doherty will head the new Moredun Foundation body, which held its inaugural meeting in Belfast on 11 March.
Veterinary sector leaders, farmers and government officials are also members of the new body, which follows the development of several similar organisations by the foundation across England, Scotland and Wales.
Dr Doherty, who led the BVA in 2018-2019 and is now a lecturer at Queen’s University in Belfast, said: “Excellent collaborations already exist between the universities and research institutes working in agriculture, aquaculture and animal health, across the North Channel.
“The formation of the NI Regional Board of the Moredun Foundation is a significant step in further strengthening existing links between the farming and veterinary communities in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“It will provide an excellent vehicle for knowledge exchange between the Moredun Research Institute and farmers and vets in the two regions.”
Moredun Group chief executive Tom McNeilly said the boards were “critical” in building connections to farming communities across the UK.
He added: “I am very much looking forward to working with this newly established regional board to better align our activities with the needs of the farming community in Northern Ireland.”
