Mind Matters Intitiative Campfire Chat: Pandemic parenting

Join the MMI Team and our amazing guests for an informal delve into themes and topics that matter to the veterinary community. Open to all, these free online panel sessions offer a chance to pause, reflect and learn from our guests’ experiences of navigating life and work during Covid-19.

In this month's MMI Campfire Chat we look at how Covid-19 has placed huge pressures on parents. Juggling competing roles of parent, employee and teacher, navigating difficult discussions with children, and being separated from extended family support are all factors that have taken a toll – in the veterinary community and beyond. Join us for a discussion on the highs and (many) lows of parenting during a pandemic.

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Panel Guests

Kit Sturgess FRCVS

After graduation Kit spent six years in general veterinary practice moving from mixed to equine to small animal practice before returning to Bristol University to pursue a more specialised career. He has further professional qualifications in imaging, cardiology and internal medicine as well as a PhD awarded for looking at the effects of FIV on mucosal immune function.

Kit was awarded his Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016 for meritorious contribution to clinical practice. Kit has authored numerous articles, two textbooks as well as presenting lectures and research abstracts at conferences worldwide. He has been seeing referral small animal medicine cases for the past 25 years both at university-based and private specialist practices. In 2006 Kit was a founder director of Anderson Sturgess (now Anderson Moores) Veterinary Specialists developing the practice from a staff of 5 to 65 over a 6 year period. Kit’s love of teaching and learning  has led him to develop a new, more flexible role, combining governance, mentoring, lecturing, writing and clinic time. Kit is chair of BSAVA Education committee and is a trustee of Cats Protection and chair of trustees of the Wildheart Trust. He maintains a keen clinical interest working 3 days in clinics in both referral only and mixed primary care with referral settings.

When not at work, Kit spends time with his family trying to keep up with 12 and 16 year old boys and a border terrier. Hobbies are generally focused at fixing things, currently a major house renovation.

Liz Barton MRCVS

Liz Barton graduated in 2004 from Cambridge, and has enjoyed a varied career; including mixed practice, a small animal internship, ECC and shelter medicine. With wellbeing of the profession became an increasing concern in 2018 Liz co-founded WellVet, organising mind, body and soul wellbeing events for the profession. In 2019, Liz was voted onto SPVS board to co-ordinate the SPVS wellbeing representative whilst also sitting on several other organisational wellbeing committees.

Mum to two girls, has also given support to the Vet Mums Facebook group to share and discuss issues around parenting in the profession. Has written and spoken extensively on the challenges of balancing career and family. Editor of Veterinary Woman, a website to inspire women to aspire and grow into their full potential, now works in veterinary PR and marketing alongside clinical locums.

Angharad Belcher, RCVS Advancement of the Professions Director

Angharad has recently joined RCVS as Director for the Advancement of the Professions. Previously she was Head of Partnerships for BSAVA, overseeing strategic relationships, BSAVA Congress & Summit. Her motivation is to find ways to support vets and nurses to do the best possible for animal welfare and their own wellbeing, and doing so as sustainably and ethically as possible. Angharad has a one year old and returned to work (or the spare room) in the middle of the pandemic.

Programme timings and information

7:00 - 8:00pm

The interactive session will be held online, via Zoom, and there are a maximum of 50 places available.

This event counts towards your CPD.

Cost

There is no charge to attend this event.

Register here

Contact us

Should you have any questions relating to either of these workshops, please email the RCVS Events Team