Published: 05 Nov 2024 | Last Updated: 05 Nov 2024 09:00:17

Animal Aspirations, a national student-led organisation dedicated to improving ethnic and socioeconomic diversity within animal-related careers, celebrated its fifth birthday this week.

After reports from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) revealed a lack of diversity and support for those of minority backgrounds in the sector, two passionate veterinary students from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) established the organisation in 2019. Founded by Stephanie Stapleton and Lavinia Economu, and with the support of fellow students and the RVC’s Student Recruitment and Widening Participation team, Animal Aspirations was set up to break down barriers and tackle the lack of exposure to veterinary careers from a young age, in part by becoming the role models they wished they’d had in school. It also aims to correct misconceptions about what a vet does, the pathway to becoming a vet and the various job options available in animal-related careers.

Over the years, Animal Aspirations has evolved to provide positive role models and practical advice to diverse students of all ages across the country, with a particular focus on supporting those from an ethnic minority or on Free School Meals through its school workshops. It has expanded from nine students at the RVC to a team of 83 students.

The organisation also now has a presence across several leading institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Surrey, Harper Adams University, Keele University and the University of Central Lancashire. The group doesn’t plan to stop there with teams in the process of being set up at the University of Liverpool and the University of Edinburgh, among others.

Throughout its first five years alone, Animal Aspirations is proud of its impact, which includes:

• Working with tens of thousands of young people across the UK to educate them that working with animals can be a tangible and respected career pathway.
• Holding hundreds of school workshops and creating new resources for schools and students on diversity in animal-related careers.
• As part of an RVC visit, hosting Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, at a school workshop to show her the work of the organisation.
• Partnering with notable organisations such as the RCVS, BVA, RSPCA and Pets at Home on various campaigns, including social media collaborations for Black History Month and International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and speaking at workshops.
• Student ambassadors speaking at prominent events such as the London Vet Show, New Scientist Live and the Veterinary Schools Council’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Conference to raise awareness of this important issue within the sector.
• Writing an Open Letter following the height of the Black Lives Matter movement calling for action against racism and discrimination.
• Winning multiple awards, including founder, Lavinia Economu, receiving the RVCS Student Community Award in 2021 for starting the organisation.
• Providing better access to students from underrepresented groups via the RVC through regular cycles of targeted interventions, managed in line with its Access and Participation Plan. Over the last five years, targets specifically directed towards narrowing gaps in the ethnic diversity of the RVC student population have been met and exceeded with Animal Aspirations’ work being an important aspect of this success.

Dr Lavinia Economu, founder of Animal Aspirations, said:

“I’ve always lived and gone to school in Greater London, and so I was used to being surrounded by people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Once I started my veterinary degree, this was no longer the case, as few students came from diverse or ethnic minority backgrounds. This pattern seemed to be the same in all vet schools and even the veterinary profession, but there were very few if any, initiatives to address it.

“During my intercalated year at the RVC, I was lucky enough to meet Stephanie Stapleton, another vet student who also shared my passion for increasing diversity in veterinary medicine. She introduced me to the Widening Participation team at the RVC, and together, we recruited an amazing group of vet students, and Animal Aspirations was born.

“I truly think this is one of the best professions to be in, and I’d like to see it become more accessible and inclusive to all young people, no matter their background.”

Lharanya Somasundaram, President of Animal Aspirations, said:

“Animal Aspirations has grown so much over the years. Like myself, many join the team to find the support and sense of community that was absent in our journey to the veterinary profession. It has been incredible to see the impact of our work, how misconceptions that once served as barriers are being challenged, and how young people feel more empowered to pursue their dreams.

“However, there is still much work to be done. The goal is to create such a diverse and inclusive environment that it can sustain itself and the support we provide is the norm. This only becomes possible when everyone, regardless of experience, position or background, is committed to championing diversity.

“We should all be thinking about how we can make ourselves and our workplaces more inclusive. With these combined efforts, we get closer to a profession where everyone feels as though they truly belong.”

Notes to Editors

About Animal Aspirations

https://www.animalaspirations.com 

For media enquiries, please contact:

• Jasmin De Vivo at jasmin.devivo@plmr.co.uk or mailto:rvc@plmr.co.uk 
• Press Line: 0800 368 9520

About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London.  
• It is one of the few veterinary schools in the world that hold accreditations from the RCVS in the UK (with reciprocal recognition from the AVBC for Australasia, the VCI for Ireland and the SAVC for South Africa), the EAEVE in the EU, and the AVMA in the USA and Canada. 
• The RVC is ranked as the top veterinary school in the world in the QS World University Rankings by subject, 2024.  
• The RVC offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences.  
• The RVC is a research-led institution, with 88% of its research rated as internationally excellent or world class in the Research Excellence Framework 2021. 
• The RVC provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals and first opinion practices in London and Hertfordshire.