A programme to support students preparing to apply to veterinary school has been commended in a national award for widening access and participation.

The National Educational Opportunities Network (NEON) Awards celebrate and recognise key achievements in supporting learners from underrepresented groups to access and succeed in higher education.

Future Vet, a collaboration between Harper & Keele Veterinary School, Higher Horizons, Harper Adams University and Keele University's outreach teams, addresses barriers to successful applications to veterinary medicine degrees. The four-day programme provides learners in year 12 with information, advice, and guidance on life as a vet, two days of vocational experience in different settings, application support and interview advice.

Most veterinary schools require students to have undertaken vocational experience before applying, and the programme offers students an opportunity to spend a day at Garden Vets, the veterinary teaching hospital based at Keele University. Following that, participants visit the extensive 494-hectare Harper Adams Future Farm for a taster of life as a farm vet.

David Mazzocchi-Jones, Director of Admissions and Student Experience at the Vet School, said: "We are delighted to be awarded a commendation in this highly prestigious award and to celebrate the success of the pilot cohort, which has seen over 50 per cent of participants apply to study veterinary medicine in September. This is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the project.

"The Future Vet programme enables those who would struggle to get vocational experience a deeply enriched, focused experience to explore the many aspects of the profession. By widening access to veterinary courses, we not only enrich the profession but also extend the reach of compassionate animal care to all corners of our communities."

Higher Horizons, based at Keele University, is part of the Uni Connect Programme, and is funded by the UK Government to deliver free and impartial higher education outreach to schools and colleges across Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire.

Ant Sutcliffe, Associate Director, Higher Horizons, added: "We are thrilled that Future Vet, as a relatively new programme, has received a commendation in this national award, and we hope this will give the programme a springboard to become well established in the years to come. We know that veterinary courses are difficult for working class young people to access, and this programme genuinely smashes many of the barriers to application and enrolment."