Students celebrate at CQ Graduation and Awards Ceremony
Ben Fogle presenting a scroll to one of the graduating students.
We were delighted to welcome more than 100 students from training centres across the UK to Central Hall, Westminster, on Saturday, 9 March to celebrate their graduation at the annual Central Qualifications (CQ) Graduation and Awards Ceremony.
The graduates of our Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and Diploma for Veterinary Nurse Assistants were handed their well-earned scrolls by adventurer, broadcaster and writer Ben Fogle while friends and family looked on.
Ben Fogle also gave the keynote speech, in which he spoke about growing up in a veterinary household near the venue in central London, finding fame spending a year living on an island as part of the Castaway 2000 television series, rowing across the Atlantic with James Cracknell, and climbing Mount Everest.
He ended his speech by urging the graduates not to forget their dreams and ambitions and to climb their own Everests, whatever that might be.
The event also saw the winners of the CQ Veterinary Nursing Educator Awards 2024 collect their awards. Donna Green of Central College of Animal Studies and Beverly Shingleton of Plumpton College were rewarded for their dedication to veterinary nurse training and the positive impact they have had on their students and colleagues.
Jacqui Garrett, CQ director, said: “As always, it’s been a great day at the CQ Graduation and Awards Ceremony. Veterinary nurses and nursing assistants play such an important role in the veterinary profession and it was an honour to see this new cohort graduate. I’m sure they will excel in the workplace and make a big difference to the lives of so many animals.”
Ben Fogle said: “It was a real privilege to be here today to celebrate the hard work and achievements of this new generation of veterinary nurses and veterinary nurse assistants. Congratulations to everyone who graduated today.”
Image © Central Qualifications