Sue Wilmott, Amanda Twells, Louise Tomlinson, Jane Broughton and Adele Carter have all achieved at least 30 years of service at Ashfield House Veterinary Hospital in Long Eaton.
In total they have clocked up 164 years’ service between them, and they put their loyalty down to the caring environment at the vet practice and the support of their friendly colleagues and clients.
Practice administrator Sue Wilmott is the latest Ashfield House Vets colleague to mark their 30th anniversary.
Sue said: “I have loved every minute of working here and the 30 years have flown by – I can remember my first day at the practice as if it was yesterday.
“We have such a lovely team of people at Ashfield House Vets and everyone is dedicated to giving pets the best possible care. The team has a great working relationship and we all look after and support each other and it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed here for so long.”
Ashfield House Vets has been looking after pets in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire for over 40 years and has a veterinary hospital in Long Eaton, which cares for pets 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and branch surgeries in Bramcote, Spondon and Aspley.
Sue’s longest-serving colleague is Adele Carter, who will be celebrating 39 years at Ashfield House in September. Adele joined the practice as a nurse and now works one day a week supporting the nursing team.
Adele said: “One of the biggest changes I’ve seen since I joined is how much the practice has grown. When I started, we had three vets, three nurses and one receptionist – now we have a team of 65 working across four surgeries. I enjoy seeing our clients and their pets and it’s lovely that some pet owners have been coming to the practice as long as I’ve worked here.”
Other long-serving team members are head nurse Amanda Twells and deputy head nurse Louise Tomlinson, who have worked at the practice for 31 years, and reception manager Jane Broughton who has clocked up 33 years of service.
Amanda carried out her nursing training at Ashfield House Vets, qualifying as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 1997 before becoming head nurse in 2000.
Amanda said: “We’re so proud to work here because it is such a caring practice. We are all pet owners and always treat our clients’ animals as if they were our own pets.
“I’ve helped care for many patients during my 31 years at the practice, and I’ve got lots of special memories, but the ones that stand out are the pets that have been given a clean bill of health after being seriously ill. Knowing you’ve helped a pet recover is a great feeling and being able to help animals and their owners is why I wanted to be a veterinary nurse.”
Deputy head nurse Louise added: “No two days are the same in a veterinary practice and I love the variety it offers. I feel very lucky to have spent most of my working life here, surrounded by like-minded people, and I have made many good friends among colleagues and clients.”
Reception manager Jane is one of the friendly faces who greet clients when they come to the veterinary hospital and she also manages the practice’s front of house team.
Jane said: “We have such lovely clients and because the practice is so friendly and welcoming, they’ll often pop their head through the door to say hello if they are passing by or bring their dogs in for a treat. One of the best things about being part of the team here for so long is seeing clients bring in their puppies and kittens for vaccinations, then watching them grow up into dogs and cats and helping keep them healthy through all stages of their lives.
“I’ve also made great friends within the practice and we enjoy each other’s company so much we often go on holiday together, to celebrate things such as significant birthdays.”
Ashfield House Vets is part of VetPartners, which owns some of the UK and Europe’s most respected and trusted veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses.