Humanimal Trust appoints new trustee

Humanimal Trust, the charity founded in 2014 by orthopaedic veterinary surgeon, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, has appointed a new Trustee, Laurie Dennard. 

Laurie began her career with BT, spending fifteen years in a variety of commercial roles, including Head of Marketing for BT Entertainment and Head of Portfolio Strategy at BT Group.

After a career break, she changed direction to work in the charity sector, becoming an individual giving and extreme challenge fundraising specialist, notably managing an expedition to play the Guinness World Record breaking highest ever game of rugby on Mount Everest and raising £250,000.

In 2018, she became an independent marketing consultant, advising clients across the charity, technology and commercial real estate sectors. She combines her consultancy work with her role as a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) tutor.

Reflecting on her appointment, Laurie said:

“I’m delighted to join Humanimal Trust as a trustee and hope that my marketing and fundraising experience will balance the depth of medical and veterinary expertise on the Board. The opportunity to support the team to broaden awareness of One Medicine and engage professionals and supporters with our work is really exciting.”

Chair of Humanimal Trust’s Board of Trustees, Professor Roberto La Ragione, welcomed Laurie to the charity, saying: 

“On behalf of all Humanimal Trust trustees, staff, volunteers and supporters, I would like to welcome Laurie Dennard as a trustee. Her professional experience across multiple sectors and determination to help Humanimal Trust engage and inspire new audiences will be a very welcome addition to the Board, particularly as we approach the Trust’s 10th anniversary.”

Humanimal Trust drives collaboration between vets, doctors and researchers so that all humans and animals benefit from sustainable and equal medical progress, but not at the expense of an animal’s life. This is One Medicine.

The charity’s work covers five streams of activity, spelling out its mantra I-CARE:

Influence – we care about bringing together everyone who knows and cares about One Medicine to create a road map for change in public policy and at the clinical coalface.

Collaboration – we care about creating opportunities to bring together human and veterinary professionals and students to learn from one another by demonstrating One Medicine at work.

Awareness – we care that more people should know and understand the benefits of One Medicine for humans and animals, about non-animal alternatives to laboratory models and how much human and animal medicine can learn from one another’s clinical practice.

Research – we care about research – funding it, encouraging it, supporting it, shouting about it – that could benefit humans and animals without the use of laboratory animal models.

Education – we care about learning – we care about every child learning about the connections between humans and animals; about veterinary and human medical students learning together and from one another; about professionals learning continuously from their peers.