Vet nurses of the future will now be able to benefit from the legacy of an inspirational Yorkshire RVN and animal lover.

Laura Turnbull, who worked at Linnaeus-owned Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield, died in January 2023 eight years after a cancer diagnosis.

Ms Turnbull, 35, packed so much into her life and career that an annual bursary has now been set up to honour her memory, organised in partnership with Laura’s mum, Hilary, and sister Sophie.

The £1,000 bursary has been created to support projects focused on the exploration of new ideas and contributions to the advancement in the veterinary nursing field and is open to all current and former veterinary nursing students at The College of Animal Welfare.

‘Poignant moment’

Hilary Turnbull said: “I am so proud of Laura and so thrilled to have helped set up this bursary in her memory with the college.

“The college is where Laura realised her dream of becoming a registered vet nurse and dedicating her life to the care and welfare of animals.

“It’s also a poignant moment as it was while studying there that Laura was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015.

“That didn’t deter or deflect her from completing her studies in style though, and she passed her exams with flying colours.

“She absolutely loved her job; it was her passion and she was genuinely excited to work with animals and to make their lives better.”

‘Wonderful tribute’

Friend Stacy Carlton, a fellow veterinary nurse and medicine team leader at Paragon, added: “Laura was a fantastic RVN and person to work with and her commitment to her patients was outstanding.

“The whole Paragon team loved her, her teamwork and dedication. She never gave up, she wanted to live and encouraged everyone to do what you want and told us ‘don’t let anything stop you’

“The bursary is a wonderful tribute to her. She was a real inspiration; a true and loyal friend and we all miss her. She will be forever in our hearts.”

For further information on the bursary, visit www.caw.ac.uk/study-with-us/the-laura-turnbull-bursary