Northampton vets earn prestigious national award

Linnaeus-owned Spinney Vets, which has practices in Wootton Fields and Kettering Road, has been accredited as a Silver level practice at both sites by Investors in the Environment (iiE), improving on its previous Bronze award.

iiE is a nationwide initiative that encourages firms to transform their working practices to introduce more environmentally-friendly, cleaner and more sustainable methods and systems.

The iiE audit report stated that Spinney Vets had developed and enhanced its Environmental Management System, in particular implementing a strong waste management strategy, with a wide range of waste streams accounted for.

There was also praise for Spinney Vets’ new ‘Green Champion’ Rebecca Jackson, who took over with support from the previous incumbent Alex Bartlett.

Among specific sustainability measures at Spinney Vets is the introduction of strong binfrastructure and numerous reusable swaps including reusable pads, kennel blankets and reusable drapes.

Spinney Vets has also undertaken five environmental/social projects, with significant impacts made for team wellbeing, sustainability within the practice and the local community. Clients have also been involved in elements of these.

Furthermore, there’s been a focus in training team members on clinical waste segregation which has resulted in great achievements in waste reduction.

Crucially, the report also highlighted that sustainability is becoming embedded within Spinney Vets through staff behaviour change, the adoption of reusable alternatives and support of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Iain Fletcher, clinical director at Spinney Vets, said: “It’s been a real team effort to achieve iiE silver level status.

“Reaching this next level has given the team a fantastic boost but we won’t rest on our laurels and will now focus our efforts on achieving the iiE Green Award, the highest level award it offers.”

For more information on Linnaeus-owned Spinney Vets, which also has a practice in Wootton Fields, visit www.northampton-vets.co.uk or search for Spinney Vets on Facebook.