Leading science and care for animals

Published: 19/09/2017 15:28:33

celebrating cycling success - speeding past our original £75,000 target towards new equipment in our 75^th year

 This week, the AHT is not only gearing up for its official 75^th birthday (the charity was officially formed on Monday 25 September 1942 by a vet, Dr Reginald Wooldridge) but it is celebrating reaching a major fundraising milestone.

We had our sights on raising vital funds to update our current MRI machine this year: a much needed piece of diagnostic equipment, which the AHT is known to have pioneered in veterinary medicine back in the 1990s, with the first dedicated veterinary MRI machine in Europe.  

 

£400,000 in total is needed to upgrade the AHT’s current machine, with over £75,000 of this total achieved through senior staff members participating in the Prudential Ride-London Surrey 100 mile cycling challenge earlier this year. Over £87,000 has now been raised through the cycling challenge and the charity is well over halfway towards upgrading the MRI machine.

 

MRI is used mostly in neurological cases, such as investigating brain and spinal problems, and can help to save the lives of very sick and injured animals by helping vets quickly reach the right diagnosis.

Members of the AHT cycling team, who hit the streets of London at the end of July after months of training, included the AHT’s CEO, Dr Mark Vaudin and Head of Individual Giving, Andrew Simmonds, as well as four other senior staff members, trustees and supporters.

Andrew Simmonds of the AHT, said: “This year has been incredibly full on with everyone working together to raise the much needed funds for our clinic to be able to upgrade our current MRI machine.

“We perform over 1,000 MRI scans a year for sick or injured cats and dogs in our clinic, and it’s important we are able to continue delivering the very best care for our patients, which is why we are putting plans into action now to upgrade our current machine. The new machine we will install in the clinics will be able to take scans faster, which will mean less time under anaesthetic for our patients. 

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported the MRI appeal so far – not just those who sponsored the Ride-London effort. It’s crucial that our charity is able to stay at the forefront of the veterinary profession. Any knowledge we gain from treating animals in our clinics we share with vets and scientists world-wide to help countless animals live healthier, happier lives.”

 

To support the AHT’s MRI appeal, click here

To cycle in the RideLondon 100 for the AHT next year, email events@aht.org.uk