PDSA – DENMAN DAY (29
OCTOBER 2015)
Early on Thursday morning I picked up June and
Sue Rodford and drove to Denman College.
It takes about 2 hours and with good company in the car the time went
quite quickly. It was the first visit to
Denman for June and Sue and fortunately the rain had stopped by the time we
arrived and they were able to view the grounds.
We had coffee and pastries in the main House and then went into another
building where the PDSA Event was taking place.
It was a very professional and slick
presentation but interesting with variety and humour. We learnt about Maria Dickin who was the
inspiration and founder of the PDSA (their Centenary is 2017 – so nearly as old
as the WI!) and how the organisation has grown and expanded over the
years. Today there are 15 Pet Hospitals and
380 Pet Practices in the country. They
provide treatment for those people who would not be able to afford private
practice costs. All animals are treated
when they arrive and their owners are asked afterwards to complete the
necessary eligibility paperwork. The
organisation depends heavily on donations and legacies.
Maria was very passionate about the care of
animals which included their bravery on active service. She decided to introduce a special medal
specifically for animals involved in wartime activities and in 1943 with the
approval of the War Office the PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted.
Steve Leonard, from the TV programme ‘Vet
School’ and ‘Vets in Practice’ (remember Trude?), is a supporter of PDSA and
gave a very interesting talk on his life and career as a Vet – including
programmes he has made for TV.
A buffet lunch was provided and we had time to
explore a little around the House and Gardens.
In the afternoon we were entertained by Colin McGurran, celebrity chef
and PDSA supporter. In 2014 he won a
competition for his nostalgic Dickin medal dessert. He cooked a variety of dishes and gave some
useful tips.
I was left with the impression that the PDSA
has a very keen and dedicated team.
There were a number of Admin staff and Veterinary Nurses on hand to
answer any questions. On leaving we were
each handed a ‘goody bag’ with leaflets on PDSA and ways in which we could
support them. If any of you want more
information the link to their website is:
And finally some of the PDSA staff
asked us about the WI – so you never know we may have recruited some new
members at their local Institutes.
Sounds like a good day - glad you all got places. Hope it enthused you to spend a weekend there on a course!
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