Stanley House Veterinary Practice celebrates 11 colleagues with 300 years of service

A veterinary practice is shining a light on its team as 11 dedicated colleagues clock up almost 300 years’ service between them.
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​Vets, nurses and receptionists are among those toasting major milestones at Stanley House Veterinary Group’s branches in Colne, Burnley, Barnoldswick and Higham.

Their career anniversaries range from 20 years to almost half a century, with many team members putting their loyalty down to the caring family environment at Stanley House Vets and the support of colleagues.

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Marie Blackburn joined after leaving school 21 years ago and trained as a nurse, rising to become deputy head nurse responsible for managing the nursing team rota, lab maintenance and quality control to ensure test results are accurate.

Team members at Stanley House Vets celebrating almost 300 years of looking after poorly petsTeam members at Stanley House Vets celebrating almost 300 years of looking after poorly pets
Team members at Stanley House Vets celebrating almost 300 years of looking after poorly pets

She said: “I love watching the progression of seeing something so sick and injured, from being at its worst, to coming out the other side, and then seeing the owners. Their pet is their world.”

When practice manager Liz Edmondson Day joined 26 years ago, she was one of just 23 colleagues at Stanley House which has been operating for 24 hours a day since 1911.

Clinical director Robin Hargreaves, who has dedicated 34 years to the practice, said: "The fact we have taken people from school age to professional standard training is brilliant and the standard of care has gone up and up.”

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Eileen Barnes who leads the reception team in the Farm and Equine Department at Higham is the longest-serving team member, having notched up almost 44 years.

She said: “I particularly love the farming side and community feel. I am from a farming background and have had a farm for 23 years; I understand the trials and tribulations, and what farmers are going through. After 43 years I have built a strong relationship with our clients. It is all I have known all my working career. I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”

Clinical directors David Walmsley and Patrick Moore have been with Stanley House for 29 and 25 years respectively. Other colleagues who have all dedicated more than 20 years include head nurse Kira Sutcliffe; veterinary nurse Jennah Sayle; Gwenda Foulds, veterinary nurse; Lindsey Dennet, a receptionist at the Higham branch, and he colleague Alison Akrigg reached her 20th anniversary before her recent retirement.