At a general meeting of AVAGBI held at the Cambridge Veterinary School in September 1973 it was decided on the initiative of the President Ben Mitchell and Treasurer Ronald Jones to establish a trust fund. The main purpose of which was education; to support trainees in veterinary anaesthesia to enable them to attend courses and eventually to fund training posts. In general the response was initially poor. However, during the Presidency of Colonel John Langley the trust developed, due mainly to his enthusiasm and contacts with the Newmarket racing industry.

Funding, when available, is mainly used to assist trainees studying for further qualifications in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia (generally, but not limited to the diploma of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, ECVAA) in a number of ways. For example, the Trust may support a lecture given to the ‘residents training day’ at an AVA meeting. Funds also are used to enable junior AVA members of the speciality to attend courses and meetings relevant to the attaining of these qualifications, to travel overseas to broaden their anaesthetic experience, and, on occasions, to give support to research training.

Traditionally the Trust has maintained a reserve fund to support the publication of the proceedings of the AVA meetings, which have evolved into what we now know as the Journal of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (VAA).

The Trust administers both its own funds, and those which may, from time to time, be donated to the AVA for specific educational purposes. For example, our patron Miss Kirsten Rausing, through Alfa Agri Ltd., supported a research project/ training studentship in aspects of anaesthesia and analgesia related to farm animals. Pharmaceutical companies have donated funds specifically for student externships, and for prizes, such as for the best papers in VAA.

The Leslie Hall Memorial Fund is a specific section of the Trust which provides funding for a ‘State of the Art’ lecture in anaesthesia to be given at a meeting of the AVA or at a World Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesia. The Leslie Hall Memorial Lecture was held at the AVA meeting in London, 2013, when Prof. John Sear talked on ‘The effect of liver disease on drug pharmacokinetics’ and at the 50th anniversary of the AVA meeting in Vienna, September 2014.

Current funding opportunities, and recent awards, are as advertised in the section labelled ‘Awards & Scholarships’. Reports written by previous recipients of awards can be found here.

Traditionally the Trust relied on the donation of the profits from AVA meetings to replenish its capital. However, as the Association has grown so fast in recent years it has become much more difficult to run AVA meetings at a significant profit. The Trust is therefore always in the need of support, from either individuals or commercial sources, to further its aims in the area of education in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia.

The current administrators and trustees of the educational fund are: (Chairperson- vacant), Franz Soebbeler, Karen Coumbe, Tammy Grubb, Paul McFarlane, Liz Leece (Secretary- on leave) (Heide Kloppel- interim Secretary), Mathieu Raillard (AVA President), Latifa Khenissi (AVA Secretary) and Julia Deutsch (AVA Treasurer).

Applying for funding

To apply for funding from the AVA Educational Trust please complete the online application form following the instructions provided.