3 Jan 2023
James Glass BVetMed, MSc, MRCVS uses his journey to becoming a Vetlife trustee to outline the organisation’s work and how people can get involved.
It is a scenario played out in probably hundreds of prep and consult rooms every day – the nursing team watching a vet try to find something.
When I worked in practice, it was an accepted nursing truth that we vets simply could not find pretty much anything – even when it was hiding in plain sight.
I wonder if the same could be said for Vetlife? How many times, even today, have you passed a Vetlife poster, Vetlife sticker, flicked past a Vetlife advert in a magazine or scrolled over a Vetlife post on social media?
You know about Vetlife – you may even have got in touch yourself or directed a friend to Vetlife. But is there a sense for many of us in our profession that Vetlife hides in plain sight?
I wonder how many of us are aware of all three services Vetlife offers?
Vetlife Helpline is available 24/7 to offer confidential, independent and free support for everyone in the veterinary community.
It does not matter if you are the senior clinical director, a nursing student or a newly joined receptionist – you can pick up the telephone or send an anonymous email from the website.Last year, 3,390 people did just that – with Vetlife Helpline volunteers, all with experience in the veterinary world – responding to about 10 contacts every day.
When you get in touch, you will find someone who will listen, who understands, and who will seek to support you.
Vetlife Health Support delivers confidential, individual, evidence-based care and support for vets, veterinary nurses and veterinary students who are experiencing mental health difficulties.
It is staffed by an experienced team of psychiatrists, mental health nurses and therapists, who seek to support people dealing with challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression, addiction and eating disorders.
In 2021, 187 people were referred for assessment, advice and care. Almost all of those referrals came about following contact with the Vetlife Helpline – a really good place to start for those facing tough times with their mental health.
Vetlife Financial Support is there for those in our professions facing unexpected and severe financial difficulties.
Anyone may apply who is – or has been – on the RCVS vet or nurse registers, with their dependants also eligible in some circumstances.
The financial support team helps people in financial difficulties to assess their situation and, as well as providing financial assistance, can signpost them to other agencies for additional help and support.
In 2021 Vetlife provided nearly £100,000 in emergency assistance and regular grants.
Over the past four years as a helpline volunteer, I have seen first-hand the challenges many of us face in team vet. But I have also been privileged to see the amazing difference Vetlife can make in always being there for those in tough situations to meet people’s emotional, financial and mental health needs.
I have also seen that support first‑hand, as both Vetlife Helpline and Vetlife Health Support stepped in to be there for me during a long period of severe depression.
For me, as for many in our profession, Vetlife is quite simply a lifesaver.
In September 2022, I joined the Vetlife board of trustees: 12 people from the membership who oversee the charity. I am so grateful for the varied skills and experience that is clearly evident there.
With the recent change in the charity’s articles, the board now includes two RVNs – Robyn Lowe and Jo Oakden – who bring valuable additional experience and insight to the team.
As a Vetlife member, I stood for the board position to be more involved in the day‑to‑day running of the charity and I hope that with more than 30 years of varied experience, I have first-hand understanding of the stresses of veterinary life, as well as charity and business experience, which can be useful in overseeing Vetlife’s work.
Vetlife has roots that go as far back as 1897 to the formation of the Victoria Veterinary Benevolent Fund, to care for veterinarians and their families in times of need. Vetlife, as a charity, has been around in various forms for almost 120 years. With a small, dedicated, permanent staff of only six, the governance of the charity is managed by the board of 12 trustees who are elected from the membership.
The charity relies heavily on its volunteers as, alongside volunteer helpline responders, we have area representative volunteers supporting those in receipt of financial support, as well as Vetlife ambassadors who publicise the charity’s work at conferences, events and talks.
All of us who volunteer for Vetlife have a background in the veterinary family. So, maybe you feel you could help?
Each year, we train a number of new volunteers to join Vetlife Helpline.
We also have areas of the UK where more volunteer area representatives are needed. We would love to talk to you if that’s a role you would consider.
As with all Vetlife roles, full training is provided.
I want to particularly encourage you to help by becoming a Vetlife member, or a “Friend of Vetlife”, and make Vetlife much more visible in plain sight.
Currently, if you sit in a room with 200 vets and RVNs, only 3 of those present would be a friend of Vetlife. That means fewer than 2% of the veterinary community are Vetlife members.
Vetlife is our charity, for our professions, providing 24/7 support to all our peers. I have had the privilege as a volunteer – and now as a trustee – to see more of the amazing work that supports and transforms the lives of those in our professions facing the hardest times. And you can help, too.
Can I encourage you to join Vetlife today, and be part of providing that help and support?
The ongoing generosity of those who chose to become a Friend of Vetlife, and contribute £4.20 each month, helps fund our three services, helping to ensure we can continue to support and care for all who need us within our amazing professions.
