A student forced to flee Ukraine after the outbreak of war is rebuilding his life by studying to become a vet with the support of VetPartners. Thomas Westley was offered sanctuary in the UK following the Russian invasion of his country in February 2022 through the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme. He is now living in Salford, Greater Manchester, with a couple who offered him a place in their home, and is studying veterinary medicine at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston.
His ambition is to become a vet, caring for pets and working in practice, and his dream is being supported by VetPartners which is encouraging wider participation in the veterinary profession through its bursary scheme.
The bursaries help to remove the financial barrier preventing many people from pursuing a career as a vet due to the high cost of studying at university.
Thomas and fellow veterinary students at UK vet schools who are awarded a VetPartners bursary receive an annual award of £1,500 per year of study for the duration of their degree, typically five years.
As well as part-funding his education by juggling jobs in a hotel and as an interpreter for fellow Ukrainians living in the UK, the bursary has helped to alleviate some of the financial worry for Thomas.
Thomas said: “Finances were a huge problem for me when I arrived here to study. I needed money for my education and all the other costs of living. I work but have to balance earning money and studying at university so the bursary was a huge boost as it reduced the financial burden significantly and enabled me to pay for bills, clothes and food.
“The bursaries are a very generous gesture by VetPartners to help those who need it most. I owe a big thank you to VetPartners because no one has ever helped me that much. I love studying veterinary medicine. It is very tough because it is very intense, but I passed all my first year exams. The tutors are lovely and share their knowledge and passion for the profession.”
The VetPartners bursary scheme supports students who already have a university place but would struggle to support their studies without additional assistance.
VetPartners CEO Jo Malone said: “We want to encourage and support under-represented groups to view the veterinary profession as something that’s not only aspirational, but also attainable.
“We set up the bursaries scheme to help students who are most in need of support and to encourage people from more diverse backgrounds because that enriches the profession and ensures talented students do no miss out because of the high cost of studying. A profession that truly reflects the UK population, culturally, ethnically and socio-economically, will make it a better and much more resilient profession.
“As a large veterinary group and employer of more than 13,000 colleagues all over Europe, we want to make a positive contribution to the profession and create a legacy that helps people to thrive.”
Thomas had been studying medicine to become a doctor at university in the city of Vinnytsia in Ukraine before the war interrupted his life. He arrived in the UK via Poland, Germany and Spain, before a kind British-American couple offered him a place in their home.
Recalling the invasion of his country, Thomas said: “I remember sitting on my bed looking at my phone, wondering if I was dreaming. I was impressed by how the Ukrainian people did not panic at all. There was a spirit of unity with everyone wanting to help each other and help to evacuate families and children. At university, we helped with the evacuation of international students from Africa and India.
“Russians were putting tags on buildings to guide their airstrikes. They said they would not kill civilians which was not true. Two Russian soldiers were in the university masquerading as students with the plan to blow it up. There were bombs and blasts and flashes and explosions close to us. They were very loud and everything, including an electricity station five kilometres away, was shaking.”
In peaceful times, Thomas grew up on his family’s animal sanctuary with large animals and 33 cats and dogs. His love of animals resulted in him switching his studies to veterinary medicine when he arrived in the UK.
To apply for a VetPartners bursary, please visit their webiste.
