Author Archives: Amber Tennant

UFAW opens applications for animal welfare scholarships

The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) has opened applications for its Animal Welfare Student Scholarships 2017. The aim of the scheme is to help students pursue their interests in animal welfare through research and other projects.

Successful candidates will be awarded up to £2,000 to cover subsistence, and up to £400 towards project expenses. The funded projects must be relevant to improving the welfare of farm, companion, laboratory, zoo or free-living wild animals whose welfare is compromised by human factors.

Application forms must be submitted by 28 February. Further information, and details about how to apply, can be found at www.ufaw.org.uk/awss

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Lung Cancer Awareness

Did you know almost 45,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in the UK? There are little or no symptoms in the early stages of the cancer forming. The signs to look out for are continuous coughing, breathlessness, coughing up blood, pains when breathing, weight loss and tiredness. Your GP suggests that if your cough continues for more than 3 weeks (with no improvement) you must book an appointment. If you have a concern about you or someone you know make sure you book an appointment with your doctor as catching it early is always best.

To reduce your chances of lung cancer stop smoking as smoking causes damage to the cells in your lungs. Watching what you eat; be careful of how much fatty foods you consume.
Exercising regularly can also help reduce the chances of developing lung cancer. Its suggested that adults do at least 2 and a half hours of exercise a week to keep fit and healthy.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-lung/Pages/Introduction.aspx 

Remember, Remember – pet safety this November!

Bonfire Night is fast approaching, but random explosions and flashing lights make the night stressful for some. It is estimated that 45 percent of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. Remember to look out for your pet in advance by…

  • Knowing the signs of distress in your pet so you can comfort them if need be; for instance pacing, trembling, cowering, hiding or loss of appetite.
  • Making sure your pets are indoors where possible to prevent them from running away and getting lost or injured.
  • Preparing your house so it is as comfortable as it can be; for instance by creating a suitable hiding place that your pets can go to if they’re scared, closing windows and curtains to reduce the visibility of flashing, and by creating similar sounds such as TV or radio to muffle the sound of fireworks.

For more information and resources on how you can help your pet cope with firework phobia, you can visit the RSPCA website.

Looking for your first step into employment?

Look no further! CAW is offering the chance to take part in a brand new Traineeship Programme. Within 10 weeks you can gain the experience you need to make that first step towards your chosen career.

The programme is run from our Huntingdon centre and will provide you with the opportunity to spend 2 weeks attending college to ensure you are feeling confident when you begin your work placement. You will learn how to search online for a job, tips on boosting you CV and some simple interview techniques to help you along the way.

Following these two weeks you will then have the chance to gain a real insight into your chosen industry sector by spending time over the following 8 weeks on a work placement. CAW offers traineeships in the following areas:

  • Animal Care
  • Customer Service
  • Business Administration

Upon completion of your placement you will be offered feedback from your employer and possible even the chance to apply for a permanent job role with them!

Does this sound good to you? Visit www.caw.ac.uk/traineeships to apply now for a chance to take part and to find out more information. Alternatively call us on 01480 422060 or email admin@caw.ac.uk

National Anti-Bullying Week (14-18 November 2016)

Anyone can experience bullying, and at any time; whether that be at home, school, work or online. Children and young people who are bullied are more at risk of developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and over half of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people have experienced homophobic bullying at school.* This year’s theme for National Anti-Bullying week is ‘Power for Good’, which aims to tackle the issue by encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to take individual and collective action against bullying where they find it. This could include…

Starting with yourself Not everybody that bullies is aware that they’re doing it. Making sure you understand what constitutes as bullying; including physical, verbal, social and cyber bullying, can help you identify if you’re behaving in this way towards other people. The best way to avoid bullying yourself is to remember that everyone is deserving of respect, thinking before you speak or do something that may hurt someone, taking responsibility for personal mistakes when they occur, and apologising to those you have hurt.

Standing up to bullying Bullies thrive with support, so make sure you avoid encouraging them. If you ever become a witness to bullying, make it clear that their behaviour is unacceptable, for example by saying so clearly and directly. If speaking up is going to put your personal safety at risk, you could take a stand by simply walking away with the victim.

Offering support and friendship to victims Bullying can make the lives of its victim’s miserable. As well as undermining a person’s sense of security and self-confidence, those that are being bullied often feel isolated, anxious and frightened. The best thing you can do as a person is to offer support and comfort to victims during this time, and let them know that they’re not alone.

Encouraging victims to speak out Victims might feel reluctant to speak up about what they’re going through out of fear of how the bully will respond, however the problem cannot be solved if nobody knows about it. You can help people speak out by encouraging them to confide in someone they trust, and by making them aware of the many people they can talk to that will support them, such as teachers, parents, friends and colleagues. You could also support them by accompanying them when they decide to speak out; and acting as witness to the bullying when necessary.

Finding the right policies Having a greater understanding of your college, school or company policy in relation to bullying can help you take the right course of action if you, or somebody you know, ever becomes a victim of bullying. This will ensure that problems are identified and resolved as quickly as possible.

If you have any concern about your wellbeing, safety or rights, please reach out to someone. The College has a zero tolerance policy towards abuse, harassment and bullying, and there are many people that can help to support you and resolve any issues. In the first instance you can talk to your tutor; a member of the Customer Advice Team (CAT) or a designated safeguarding officer. More information on bullying can be found at www.bullying.co.uk

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Does shivering count as exercise?

Now that the colder and darker months are here we must make sure we stay safe when exercising. Whether it’s in the morning or at night make sure you have reflective wear on if you are on or near roads; if you’re cycling don’t forget your protective gear too. Exercise can increase your mood which will help during the winter blue months.

Make sure you wrap up warm. Although you may feel warm while exercising wearing the right clothing can help avoid getting colds and flu.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Winterexercise.aspx

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Autism awareness

Did you know it is estimated that around 1% of the world’s population has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Autism is a condition which affects communication and behaviour; in children with ASD, symptoms are often present before the age of 3. There is no cure for autism but there are different support networks; different therapies and learning support. The cause of autism is unknown, however it is believed that it may be linked to genetics.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Autistic-spectrum-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx 
http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/facts-and-statistics/

 

Hundreds of people flock to Careers With Animals Day

Hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds visited our centre in Tingley on Saturday 15 October to attend Careers With Animals Day, hoping to find out how they can turn their dream of working with animals into a reality.

With over 400 visitors dropping by to speak to exhibitors and attend careers talks, a fantastic day was had by all. A variety of animals also came along, including Murphy from Murphy’s Army! Tracey Croucher, Short Course and Events Manager at the College, who organised the event, commented: “We had no idea how many people to expect on the day; so we were delighted that so many people came along to support the event and learn more about working with animals. We were lucky to have exhibitors and speakers from a variety of animal and veterinary organisations and we would like to thank them all for getting involved and helping make the event such a huge success.”

Careers With Animals Day will now be an annual event at the College’s centre near Leeds, with the next date already planned for the Saturday 14 October 2017.

For those who missed the event, but are interested in finding out more about the courses available at the College, the next course open day is Saturday 25 February 2017 from 10am-1pm. Further details can be found at www.caw.ac.uk.

Hundreds of people flock to Careers With Animals Day

Hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds visited The College of Animal Welfare in Tingley on Saturday 15 October, to attend its first Careers With Animals Day, hoping to find out how they can turn their dream of working with animals into a reality.

With over 400 visitors dropping by to speak to exhibitors and attend careers talks, a fantastic day was had by all. A variety of animals also came along, including Murphy from Murphy’s Army! Tracey Croucher, Short Course and Events Manager at the College, who organised the event, commented: “We had no idea how many people to expect on the day; so we were delighted that so many people came along to support the event and learn more about working with animals. We were lucky to have exhibitors and speakers from a variety of animal and veterinary organisations and we would like to thank them all for getting involved and helping make the event such a huge success.”

Careers With Animals Day will now be an annual event at the College’s centre near Leeds, with the next date already planned for the Saturday 14 October 2017.

For those who missed the event, but are interested in finding out more about the courses available at the College, the next course open day is Saturday 25 February 2017 from 10am-1pm. Further details can be found at www.caw.ac.uk.

– Ends –

For more information please contact:
Alison German RVN
Marketing Executive
The College of Animal Welfare
Tel: 01480 422060
Email: agerman@caw.ac.uk

Notes to editors:
The College of Animal Welfare is one of the UK’s leading providers of veterinary nurse and animal care training and education; operating from four training centres around the UK.

The College has a well-earned reputation for excellence and has created a number of unique achievements that have created new opportunities for learning.

For more information about The College of Animal Welfare please visit www.caw.ac.uk

Rosie Bennett wins place at Head Nurse Congress

The winner of our ‘Guess the Animal Tales’ competition, run over three days at BVNA Congress 2016, is Rosie Bennett from Rowe Veterinary Group! Entrants were given ten close-up images of animal tails, and asked to guess which animals the tails belonged to; just twelve entrants guessed all ten tails correctly.

As the winner of the competition, Rosie receives a place at next year’s Head Nurse Congress, taking place from 20-21 May 2017 at Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa in Northamptonshire. The prize includes overnight accommodation at Whittlebury Hall, with breakfast, dinner, and access to the hotel and spa facilities.

Head Nurse Congress is an annual event run by The College of Animal Welfare for Head Nurses across the UK, talking through some of the biggest management issues facing practices today, and how leaders can get the most out of their teams. Further information can be found at www.caw.ac.uk/hnc