XLVets member practice, Shepton Vets, in Somerset is celebrating 100 years of independent practice. Founded in 1922 by Tom Patterson, the practice has evolved from the days of Tom conducting his rounds on a motorbike and sidecar into a successful farm and small animal two branch practice with over 60 staff. To celebrate the centenary Shepton Vets hosted a large summer party, which previewed the book ‘100 years of Shepton Vets’. Further elements of the yearlong celebration include a 100km cycle ride and a farm visit ‘Tour de Yorkshire’.

Senior director, Paddy Gordon, comments “Turning one hundred is important. We may have grown substantially but we haven’t lost the family and community feel. We want to bring our community, near and far along with us on this celebration.”

Held at the Bath and West Show, the 100th Birthday Party was an enormous success. Over 200 staff, clients and members of the wider community enjoyed the event, which included Bill Patterson, son of founder Tom, attending as guest of honour. To commemorate the centenary, a 180-page hardback book filled with stories, photographs, diary entries and reflections from staff over the years, has been published, and was previewed at the party.

Paddy continues “The party was a fantastic kick start to our centenary celebrations and was a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to the people who have got us this far. The support from our staff past and present, our clients, XLVets and the veterinary community has been incredible. We look forward now to our cycle ride, and farm tour and hope to raise lots of money for charity in the process.”

To mark the 100 years, a fundraising cycle ride ‘cycling into the centenary’ is taking place on 10th September. The 100km route through the lanes of Somerset passes many clients’ farms and the Wells Vets branch. Staff, clients and supporters are welcome to join the group cycle, which is raising money for the Farming Community Network charity. To accommodate all, there is a second month long challenge throughout September where participants can complete 100km over shorter rides throughout the month.

Experts in farm practice, Shepton Vets understands the value of sharing knowledge to further improvement and progression. As such, the southern practice has organised ‘Tour de Yorkshire,’ a trip to visit three farms based in Yorkshire who are modernising and adapting their dairy businesses to be resilient and successful in the changing industry. Farmers are invited to join the trip, which will conclude at the Great Yorkshire Show. Miles Middleton, an esteemed farm vet with a Nuffield Scholarship will be joining the group for dinner as guest speaker.

Susan Goodfellow, Chief Marketing Officer of XLVets, expresses her delight at Shepton Vets’ achievement, “We are thrilled for Shepton Vets to have reached this impressive milestone. They are a thriving practice with great values, who are embedded in their local community. We are proud to have supported them on their journey and are excited for their future.”

XLVets is a community of independent practices that collaborate with each other to share their skills, knowledge and experience. Members share a commitment to clinical excellence and work together to achieve much more than they could do alone. The community also offers a range of training courses from clinical CPD to business courses on running a practice. To learn more about XLVets, visit https://www.xlvets.co.uk/the-boss/.

The proceeds from Shepton Vets fundraising are going towards the Farming Community Network, who support farmers and families within the farming community. More information on the fundraising and sponsorship can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sheptonvets100