A B-Corp certified veterinary group in Maidstone, Kent that became the world’s largest employee-owned practice in 2021, has won three awards in quick succession.
Pennard Vets has won the best customer service award, at the Kent Business Awards, as well as a European award for being a great workplace. Pennard Vets has also won the team and self-development award from the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS).
Veterinary surgeon and practice principal at Pennard Vets, Dr Sarla Balse, was presented with the great veterinary workplace award by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) at the General Assembly in Brussels. She said: “This award celebrates our outstanding work environment, commitment to team mental wellbeing, and promotion of professional growth. It’s a reflection of the shared effort and values that drive everything we do, as an employee-owned trust and B-Corp company. The awards are a wonderful way of shining a spotlight on the positive changes happening within our profession and we are proud to receive this prestigious accolade.”
Executive Director of the FVE, Nancy De Briyne, said: “We received many inspiring applications from workplaces across Europe, each demonstrating their commitment to making the veterinary profession a great place to work. Pennard Vets truly impressed us with their dedication to maintaining a positive and supportive environment for its team. As an employee-owned B-Corp, Pennard Vets fosters a positive, inclusive culture where staff feel both empowered and engaged—a workplace model that inspires collaboration and ownership. This is a practice that clearly values its people as much as its patients—a winning formula for success.”
The SPVS Business Excellence Awards 2024 has three categories, and Pennard Vets saw off the competition to be crowned the winner of the team and self-development category. The other two categories are the leadership and management skills award, and veterinary start-ups award. The overall winner will be announced at the SPVS Congress at the end of this month.
President of the SPVS, Dr Silvia Janska, said: “Our awards celebrate and honour outstanding veterinary practices that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in key areas crucial to the future success of the profession. These awards are part of our commitment to fostering excellence, growth, and leadership within the veterinary community and give practices an opportunity to show how SPVS resources have supported them.”
Sarla added: “We are pleased to have been given the opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of our team with this trio of award wins. We chose to protect our heritage as an independent business by becoming employee-owned, so all our team are stakeholders, and we worked hard to become a B-Corp business.
“Always taking input and ideas from our team to provide a better service, giving back to our community and protecting the environment, we have nurtured an excellent working environment and plenty of opportunities for development and these three awards are a testament to that.”
Pennard Vets was founded in Sevenoaks, Kent in 1890 and has eight practices, employing a 172-strong team, throughout Kent in Allington, Borough Green, Langley Park, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and West Malling.