Celebrating inspirational BVA members making a difference

This year, alongside welcoming our new officer team, we were proud to recognise two outstanding members whose achievements show the very best of BVA in action.

Fergus Mitchell BVM BVS MRCVS – BVA Council Impact Award (Bleby Cup) 2026

Congratulations to Fergus Mitchell, who was presented with the BVA Council Impact Award (Bleby Cup). Awarded annually, the cup recognises a BVA Council member who has made an outstanding contribution to Council and, through that work, to BVA members, the wider profession, and animal health and welfare.

Since being elected to represent the South-West in 2024, Fergus has been a strong and active voice for local members, bringing their views into a wide range of Council discussions and helping ensure regional perspectives are heard and valued. He has also contributed to discussions on the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into veterinary services for household pets, and represented BVA at meetings on challenging issues including the current Bluetongue outbreak.

Fergus, who lives in Somerset, said: "It has been a real privilege to represent the South-West based members on BVA Council over the past couple of years and to receive the John Bleby Cup is a tremendous honour. Having worked across Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset, I have been fortunate to meet so many brilliant vets and nurses, alongside some fantastic, active regional veterinary groups. I’ve greatly valued the opportunity to represent the views of members in the South-West and to work alongside fellow Regional Representatives in bringing members' concerns, challenges and fresh ideas to the BVA table. The team at BVA work tirelessly on behalf of our profession and it has been a fantastic opportunity to see first-hand the effort that goes into striving for positive and tangible change. I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to contribute my small part."

Amelia Handford – winner of the BVA Research Travel Scholarship (Harry Steele-Bodger Memorial Scholarship Fund) 

We are also delighted to celebrate Amelia Handford, known as Millie, a fifth-year Harper and Keele veterinary student and this year’s recipient of the BVA Research Travel Scholarship (Harry Steele-Bodger Memorial Scholarship Fund). The fund was established in 1953 to honour BVA’s 1939–41 President, Mr Henry Steele-Bodger, in recognition of his service to the veterinary profession and agriculture, particularly during the Second World War.

Millie has secured the full award to support her project, “Evaluation of udder health practices and the relationship with reducing antimicrobial use in Kenya”, which will focus on preventing and treating bovine mastitis, with the aim of reducing antimicrobial use in Kenya.

Millie, who lives in Cambridgeshire, said: “Receiving the Harry Steele-Bodger scholarship is a fantastic opportunity to take part in research which combines my interests in farm animal health, animal welfare and international veterinary medicine. This funding will allow me to travel to Kenya to gain first-hand experience of field-based research and explore the challenges surrounding mastitis prevention and antimicrobial use in smallholder dairy herds. As someone hoping to pursue a career in farm animal health and research, I’m excited to be part of and learn from an international project to find practical solutions to improve both animal welfare and farmers livelihood while decreasing antimicrobial use. I’m incredibly grateful for the support from BVA in this project.”

Please join us in congratulating Fergus and Millie.