General News
1 June, 2023
Community vet clinic achieves $500,000 fundraising goal
The goal of bringing a community vet clinic to Campbells Creek is a step closer to reality, with the organisation behind the push reaching its $500,000 fundraising goal. The Regional Community Vet Clinic (RCVC) has been working to establish the...
The goal of bringing a community vet clinic to Campbells Creek is a step closer to reality, with the organisation behind the push reaching its $500,000 fundraising goal.
The Regional Community Vet Clinic (RCVC) has been working to establish the first not-for-profit community funded vet clinic in regional Victoria since 2021 and this week achieved its goal of raising the funding required to get established.
Supported by the Mount Alexander Shire Council and Victorian Government, which committed $200,000 towards the project, RCVC will now be able to build on its existing work to support pet owners who experience social disadvantage or financial hardship in the community.
Reaching its fundraising target following an announcement in the Victorian Budget from Maree Edwards and Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell, RCVC will not look to establish a permanent vet practice in Campbells Creek.
“We’re unbelievably happy with the result of the budget, to see our cause crossing political lines and getting funding from two parties really goes to reaffirm that our services are needed and important to the regional Victorian community,” RCVC co-founder Yvette Berkeley said.
“We’ve been running outreach programs and pop-up clinics for the past year, and seeing the support from our community has been truly heartening.”
According to the organisation, it does not aim to compete or disrupt local veterinary practices, but rather support them by servicing clients and their companion animals where their owners are experiencing social disadvantage or financial hardship.
This relieves both emotional and financial pressure for commercial clinics, who often end up servicing these clients for free or providing payment plans that rarely end up being fulfilled.
The clinic itself is being purpose-built by Bendigo-based modular builder Ortech Industries and is designed to not only be portable if needed, but also meet the region’s environmental goals.
Co-founder Robyn Slattery said land at the Campbells Creek Community Centre is a perfect fit for the clinic.
“We have a site in mind for the clinic — Mount Alexander Shire Council have offered us space on the grounds of the Campbells Creek Community Centre and that would be perfect for us,” she said.
“The reason we invested in a portable rather than a fixed site is that it allows both us and the shire flexibility if the site needs to change in the future, but we hope that we could be a long-standing fixture in the area.”
Funding for the clinic has been raised by RCVC through a mixture of grant awards, government funding, philanthropic grants and donations from local businesses and the community. With significant funding milestones coming from Animal Welfare Victoria, The Victorian Government, The Animal Justice Party, The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal andThe Albert & Barbara Tucker Foundation.
RCVC are currently finalising site details with the Mount Alexander Shire Council, who in turn are assessing planning permissions.
RCVC will hold a public meeting at the Campbells Creek Community Centre on Sunday, June 18 for residents to learn more about the clinic, funding process and how they can get involved.