## **BRITISH VETERINARY BEHAVIOUR ASSOCIATION** ## **REPORT AND ACCOUNTS** **PERIOD 8 AUGUST 2022 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023** The British Veterinary Behaviour Association is a Registered Charity number 1199994 Website: www.bvba.org.uk ## **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1199994** ## **TRUSTEES** The charity is administered by a committee that includes all the trustees who are elected at the Annual General Meeting: Christopher James Laurence (Chair) Caroline Bower Wendy Cummins Rachel Malkani Kevin James McPeake Susan O’Hare Desmond Thompson ## **PRINCIPLAL ADDRESS** c/o The Warren Kellaways Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 4LR ## **BANKERS** Cooperative Bank Ltd P.O. Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP The British Veterinary Behaviour Association is a Registered Charity number 1199994 Website: www.bvba.org.uk ## **1. Objectives and activities** The British Veterinary Behaviour Organisation (BVBA) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The charitable objectives of the BVBA are to: advance animal welfare and veterinary education for the public benefit by: promoting science and evidence based education for the veterinary and animal behaviour professions on animal behaviour subjects advancing education and best practice of the veterinary professions of the benefits of high welfare handling in veterinary practices ## Public benefit The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. ## Volunteers The charity is run by a team of volunteers made up of the trustees and a number of others who have an interest in the charity’s objects. The major tasks are organising our annual Study Day, organising webinars and other CPD events for members and sitting on the Management Board for the Dog Friendly Practice scheme in collaboration with Dogs Trust. Without the combined effort of all of those people BVBA could not function. ## **2. Achievements and performance** BVBA was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 8[th] August 2022; this is the first report covering activity since registration. The major event of the year is our annual Study Day that takes place on the Affiliate Day of BSAVA Congress in the Spring. This was the second year of returning to face-to-face meetings and the numbers attending remained disappointing. We decided not to offer recordings of the meeting following significant difficulties in 2022 and this may have contributed to a 25% increase in numbers attending, although they remain significantly below those at pre-pandemic Study Days. Inevitably that resulted in a financial loss in spite of generous sponsorship but we have decided that face-toface provides a much more satisfying event than virtual. We will re-evaluate the position after the 2024 event. For the first time for many years we ran a virtual mini-conference in the autumn that consisted simply of a range of presentations. It was well organised and attended with access available only as a member benefit. Because the technology was run by BVBA volunteers the costs were modest and it will have enhanced our membership offer. The ongoing work in partnership with Dogs Trust to establish the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme (DFC) has continued. The scheme is governed by a management board made up of representatives from BVBA, Dogs Trust and an independent member, currently Carl Gorman who is an Officer of the The British Veterinary Behaviour Association is a Registered Charity number 1199994 Website: www.bvba.org.uk British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA). There continues to be significant interest in the project with numbers of individual and practice members consistently increasing. BVBA organised six webinars on a variety of behaviour subjects in the period. Because BVBA is an Affiliate Group of BSAVA they are run through their systems for technical support. Audience numbers continue to be modest. BVBA tries hard to provide behaviour input to students aiming to become members of the veterinary professions. To this end we have direct contact with a specific interested member of staff at as many relevant universities and colleges as possible. We also assist running on-line courses for students and these are popular and an effective means of raising the profile of the training and behaviour sector to the students. We have also run free events for students in collaboration with Dogs Trust both face-to-face and virtually. To recognise the very long-standing contribution of Des Thompson to the sector we have named our student award after him. ## **3. Financial review** Income for the period was £23,742 and expenditure was £26,584 a loss of £2,842. Study Day made a loss of £4,697.20 which was expected with the reduced number of delegates. With inflation over the past year other expenses increased significantly with the costs of running the Association significantly greater even though all except one committee meeting are held on line at no financial cost. Inevitably as a result, fees for 2024 will have to be increased for both membership and for Study Day. We hope that increased attendance at the latter will enable it to break even. At the date of approving the report and accounts, there are no uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. There are no funds or subsidiary undertakings that are materially in deficit. ## **4. Structure, governance and management** BVBA is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a constitution. Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were: Christopher James Laurence (Chair) Caroline Bower Wendy Cummins Rachel Malkani Amy Miele (elected 22 March 2023) Kevin James McPeake Susan O’Hare Desmond Thompson The British Veterinary Behaviour Association is a Registered Charity number 1199994 Website: www.bvba.org.uk Trustees are elected by voting members at each AGM. The board of trustees has the power to appoint trustees but that power has not been used to date. No external body or any other person is entitled to appoint a trustee. No governance and management details are exempt from disclosure. ## **5. Plans for the future** Plans for Study Day 2024 are well advanced and promises an interesting programme. We continue to provide the opportunity for those involved in research to present their findings in brief presentations. We will also continue to run our competition for students interested in behaviour by inviting them to explain what they hope to achieve. That project and other contact with students to encourage their interest in behaviour is part of our hope to engender a greater cognisance of the importance of the subject to the veterinary professions. Approved by the trustees on 15[th] March 2024 and signed by C J Laurence The British Veterinary Behaviour Association is a Registered Charity number 1199994 Website: www.bvba.org.uk ## **BRITISH VETERINARY BEHAVIOUR ASSOCIATION RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023** |**Receipts**
Journal refund
Membership
Meetings
ESCVE subscriptions
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
Journal costs
Trustee expenses
Web and marketing
Meeting expenses
Subscriptions
ESVCE
PayPal charges
**Total expenses**
**Net receipts/(payments)**
**Cash funds at 8 August 2022**
**Cash funds at 31 December**
**2023**
**Cash funds**
Bank
Paypal
**Total funds**|Unrestricted
funds 2023
£
5,772
10,090
6,754
1,126
**23,742**
13,103
996
93
11,360
131
701
200
**26,584**
**-2,842**
18,060
**15,218**
3,642
11,576
**15,218**|Total
funds
2023
£
5,772
10,090
6,754
1,126| |---|---|---| |||**23,742**| |||13,103
996
93
11,360
131
701
200| |||**26,584**| |||| |||**-2,842**| |||18,060| |||**15,218**| |||3,642
11,576| |||**15,218**| The British Veterinary Behaviour Association is a Registered Charity number 1199994 Website: www.bvba.org.uk