Who stole the limelight?... and almost Craven College's Partnership Certificate!

(We are lucky to have this photo, as in the first attempt a college horse stole the limelight and almost the certificate!)

Vet Gilly Marsh is the course tutor for the HND in Animal Management at Craven College and lectures on the equine and animal management NDs and HNDs.  Gilly is also the North East and Yorks region FE representative on VETNET LLN 's National Governing Council.  Although Gilly was on-call when I visited to present the certificate, she was able to catch and treat her patient (a vet-phobic cat) and time her arrival at our meeting to perfectly coincide with lunch.  Caroline Thornborough, Graeme Hirst and Simon Midgely were also present to discuss progression accords, especially in light of the start of their new Foundation Degree in Equine this September and the Foundation Degree in Animal Management next September (both subject to validation).   Gilly is particularly keen to ensure that the students have a good grounding in sciences to ensure that they can progress with ease to a range of animal science HE programmes if they wish.

Craven College is on a fabulous site with amazing links with industry as it is based in a large modern Auction Mart.  This is a great example of the rural agricultural community and a local education institution supporting each other, as Craven decided to take up residence in the accommodation offered by the quiet auction mart during the foot and mouth outbreak.  The site couldn’t fail to impress any student wanting to work in an environment surrounded by animals and at the heart of the animal industries.  I also know where the aforementioned horse gets its need to be centre-stage as Craven College are in a unique position where they have their own limelight: there is a theatre in the auction arena on non-auction days!  We look forward to receiving the bids and draft progression accords from our new member of the network. 

To finish on a VETNET LLN / Shakespearian note: “to progress or not to progress – that is the question”.  Hopefully after Simon Midgely (Head of Landbased Studies) and his team have had some discussion with other regional institutions, the students will have more information and support to address this question and help them to progress.

Dr Catherine Bertenshaw
VETNET LLN Regional Manager (North East & Yorkshire)