We were delighted to welcome old friends and new to The Links Group annual supporters meeting, held virtually on 9 July 2025.
Chair Paula Boyden welcomed everyone and gave an overview of the work The Links Group has been doing since the previous gathering of supporters, and major achievements were highlighted. Paula made good use of this opportunity to extend public thanks to the many key partners and individuals who have helped make 2024/2025 such an impactful year; as well as Links personnel who have worked to get us to this stage and are still with the team in spirit.
Treasurer Mike Elliott outlined the funding support received by the charity in the last year and provided an update on the finances. He also reported on how individuals and organisations could continue to be supporters of The Links Group through our website in the coming weeks, and the annual update of our supporters and partners logos on the website.
Links Group Vice Chair Vicki Betton provided an update on communications from the group, praising the work of Battersea’s Helen McNally in re-vitalising and re-structuring our social media output, to great effect. Strategic Delivery Lead Andrea Lynch explained the pathway of development of our website since re-branding 3 years ago, with increased functionality and accessibility. We were so pleased to be able to thank, in person and amongst so many of our supporters, the person responsible for this work, our Barrie.
Natalie Ratcliffe, Cats Protection Lifeline’s Scottish Manager, presented a report on behalf of all four of The Links Group Accredited Specialist Domestic Abuse Animal Fostering Services. Natalie outlined hard-hitting but essential information about the circumstances the users of this service and the frontline workers face, demonstrating just why these services are so specialised, and the training involved in reducing risk for the people and pet victim-survivors, the foster carers and the staff involved.
A whistle-stop tour of our new online courses was next, with Protecting Animals, Protecting People: in the Home across the UK, Ireland and Jersey and Protecting Animals, Protecting People: Vet Teams – Jersey both getting a quick demo online. This provided us with a perfect place to publicly thank Mark Randell, Protect Animals. Protect People campaign manager at Naturewatch Foundation, for supporting the use of our Protecting Animals, Protecting People course title in acknowledgement of our shared aim. We were also pleased to be joined by some of the expert advisory panel who helped with the creation of these courses, as well as some of the content creators, and of course, our generous funders, Pets Foundation.
Thanks were given to all these groups, to the Government of Jersey and key stakeholders on the island who have supported and provided content and context, as well as to the unsung heroes of our amazing IT support, our talented (and patient!) graphic designer Mike Melvin, BVRA Past President Jaime Kiem for her help, time and support in building the course and more. There are those who have helped us in this venture but wish to remain anonymous. We’ll take this opportunity again to say a huge THANK YOU – we could not have done this without you.
Paula thanked MSD for their ongoing support in delivering the Links Group training to all fully-fledged UK veterinary school undergraduate course and animal welfare Masters students. Andrea gave some background on the Links Veterinary Training Initiative, thanking BSAVA for their support in running a second series, and how that has facilitated the expansion of our multi-agency training to human services professionals. Our in person, webinars and virtual learning hub training opportunities were covered, with an update on the numbers training in 2025 to date and over the last 12 months.
As trustee Dr. Mary Wakeham was travelling to the Women’s Aid National Conference, Andrea provided a research update on her behalf. We were thrilled to report that Mary will begin her post-doctoral research study exploring the interconnection between animal abuse and domestic abuse related homicide/suicide this month, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, Defra, Refuge4Pets and The Links Group.
Next up was Rebecca Stephens, who stimulated considerable conversation with her presentation on Veterinary Social Work, which was so well received. Rebecca’s expertise in this area, and her generosity with this knowledge, always shines through, and the Q&A session really set the scene for the next part of the meeting, where our supporters took centre stage.
Lisa Giddings from Vetpol eloquently articulated the importance of Suitably Qualified Persons learning about The Link, given their roles in so many animal and people-facing areas, as well as an impassioned explanation of why Vetpol have been such strong supporters of The Links Group, and how we can further that mutual support.
Yasmin Amer, vet and social worker, explained her experiences in working in both roles has shaped her role in practice, and in supporting other members of the team in better understanding the safeguarding role of social workers.
Dr. Elizabeth Ormerod, Chair of the Society for Companion Animal Studies talked about her extensive experience of veterinary practice life and how integrating education on the importance of the human-animal bond and effective and reciprocal multi-agency working was so critical. Elizabeth also outlined how SCAS has and continues to support the work of Links, and we are delighted that this mutual support goes on.
Sian Stockford explained why MSD felt it was so important to support The Links Group, thereby improving the welfare of pet owners and their pets, but also of vets and vet teams.
Animal welfare campaigner Tara Cunningham from Causeway Coast Dog Rescue talked of how Paula had presented at their NI Animal Welfare Conference last year; how that relationship continues and evolves in support of shared aims and both recognising the need for effective multi-agency working to effect positive change.
Rosemary Penn outlined the situation in her local area, and on recognising the need for safeguarding support and resources, with a request for more training answered by Refuge4Pets.
Links Group guest speaker, independent consultant and recently retired Head of Training and Education at Women’s Aid Federation of England, Jacqui Kilburn, discussed the importance of the “animal question” in risk assessments used for domestic abuse victim-survivors in the UK, and the need to embed this in MARAC training, opening the way for Mark Randell, to talk more about his work there with Mary and the RSPCA, stressing the importance of effective partnership working and police training.
The meeting closed with a plan to meet again next year, but we invite you to get in touch much sooner than this if you have further suggestions or simply know more. All that remains is to say THANK YOU to you all for your support this year, from Paula’s “small but mighty” team!
