BEVA26 is taking shape!

I am delighted to chair the BEVA Congress Committee for 2026. Congress is a fantastic event and our Committee are working hard to ensure that Congress continues to deliver world-class clinically-relevant CPD and evolves to engage with changing trends in practice and new challenges for the profession.

Imogen’s theme for Congress 2026 is ‘Everyday Welfare’. This theme reminds us of the primary purpose of our profession that is articulated in the oath sworn on admission to the RCVS that “above all my constant endeavour will be to ensure the welfare of the animals committed for my care”. The theme aims to bring welfare considerations into the way we approach every patient rather than only considering welfare to be relevant in more extreme settings such as neglect, catastrophic injury and chronic pain. This theme builds on many of the topics discussed at this year’s Congress and will be weaved through an excellent selection of clinical CPD that encompasses the full range of topics that delegates are used to.

Welfare extends beyond our equine patients, ‘Everyday Welfare’ also applies to the welfare of the veterinary team entrusted with our patient’s care. We are looking forward to some thought-provoking sessions covering practice culture and employment.

I am extremely grateful for the hard work of my colleagues on the Congress Committee. Annamaria Nagy and Safia Barakzai are curating the orthopaedics, sports horse medicine, imaging, surgery and dentistry streams. Nicola Menzies-Gow, incoming Chair April Lawson and past-Chair Rose Tallon are organising the medicine streams.

Charles Cooke will cover reproduction and Kassie Hill is curating the nursing stream.

Finally, Malcolm Morley and Roxanne Kirton have diverse roles covering current affairs and practice culture and helping to include the theme of ‘Everyday Welfare’ throughout the Congress programme.

The programme will be launched very soon and it promises to be another great Congress full of learning and fun. I very much look forward to seeing many of you in Birmingham again this September!