College Of Animal Welfare Bursary Launched In Memory Of Inspirational RVN Laura Turnbull
3 weeks ago 
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Vet nurses of the future will now be able to benefit from the incredible legacy of an inspirational Yorkshire animal lover and registered veterinary nurse (RVN).
Laura Turnbull, who worked at Linnaeus-owned Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield, tragically died in January 2023 after a brave eight-year battle against cancer.
She was only 35 when she passed but packed so much into her life and career that an annual bursary has now been set up to honour her memory, organised in partnership with Laura’s loving mum, Hilary and supportive sister Sophie.
Hilary, from Huddersfield, said: “I am so proud of Laura and so thrilled to have helped set up this bursary in her memory with the College.
“The College is where Laura realised her dream of becoming a registered vet nurse and dedicating her life to the care and welfare of animals.
“It’s also a poignant moment as it was while studying there that Laura was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015.
“That didn’t deter or deflect her from completing her studies in style, though, and she passed her exams with flying colours.
“She absolutely loved her job; it was her passion and she was genuinely excited to work with animals and to make their lives better.
“Laura was also so courageous. Even during the worst times of her treatment - the chemotherapy, radiotherapy, all of the pain she endured, losing her hair – she was still determined to make the most of every moment.
“She raised awareness and funds doing events like the Great North Run and two half marathons for Marks & Spencer’s Breast Cancer Now Campaign.
“She also continued to go off on her adventures around the world and Sophie and me were privileged to go along with her on some of them, so were colleagues and friends.
“Laura really was remarkable. There were plenty of times when we felt she was too ill to go to work but she still somehow found the strength, determination and energy to prove us wrong.
“Even in 2019, when Laura was diagnosed with secondary cancer in her spine, she refused to give in to the disease.
“Far from it. That was when she decided to apply for a RVN job at Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield and, of course, she was successful!”
Alison German, head of communications at The College of Animal Welfare, says students and registered vet nurses all across the UK can now apply for the new bursary.
Alison, who’s also an RVN, added: “The College is proud to announce the establishment of the Laura Turnbull Bursary, a new annual award worth £1,000 in memory of our former veterinary nursing student, Laura Turnbull.
"The bursary aims to honour Laura’s legacy and passion for veterinary nursing by inspiring and enabling other student veterinary nurses to make meaningful contributions to the field and to support projects that reflect Laura’s spirit and her remarkable dedication and care to animals.
“This will include encouraging innovative research to improve veterinary practices and animal welfare, supporting initiatives within local communities that promote veterinary nursing and animal welfare and exploring and integrating alternative medical practices in veterinary care.
“It will also embrace the fostering of interdisciplinary collaborations that benefit both human and animal health and explore new ideas and contributions to the advancement of the veterinary nursing field.
“Laura’s bursary is open to all current and former veterinary nursing students of The College of Animal Welfare and we look forward to seeing the incredible projects that students will develop and the positive impact they will have on the profession.”
All applications for the 2024 award must be received no later than October 31 and the inaugural recipient will be announced at the College’s Student Awards Ceremony on Saturday November 16.
It was at CAW’s annual awards in 2016 when Laura was honoured with the ‘Best Final Year Veterinary Nursing Student Award’ shortly after qualifying as a registered veterinary nurse.
Laura joined Paragon Veterinary Referrals in 2019 where her passion and commitment endeared her to both colleagues and clients.
The Paragon team raised £8,000 to help Laura to fulfil some of her bucket list dreams, including travelling to New York at Christmas and further trips to Italy, Krakow, Kefalonia and India during the latter part of 2022.
Laura’s friend Stacy Carlton, a fellow veterinary nurse and medicine team leader at Paragon, said “Laura was a fantastic RVN and person to work with and her commitment to her patients was outstanding.
“The whole Paragon team loved her, her teamwork and dedication. She never gave up, she wanted to live and encouraged everyone to do what you want and told us ‘don’t let anything stop you!’
“The bursary is a wonderful tribute to her. She was a real inspiration; a true and loyal friend and we all miss her. She will be forever in our hearts”.
For further information on the bursary, visit www.caw.ac.uk/study-with-us/the-laura-turnbull-bursary.
For more information on Paragon Veterinary Referrals, visit www.paragonreferrals.co.uk or search for Paragon Veterinary Referrals on social media.
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