Regional and SOC Brilliant People Awards Q4 2026 winners revealed

September 03, 2026

We're thrilled to share the final round of Regional and SOC Brilliant People winners for FY26. 

Our quarterly Regional and SOC Brilliant People Awards is a great opportunity for us to recognise colleagues who best exemplify our Group values – We Care, We Dare, We Share. 

This round we’re celebrating an incredible 43 Brilliant People winners from our UK and Group SOC teams. Congratulations to everyone who won an award this time – each winner will receive a high street voucher! 

Entries for the next round of quarterly Brilliant People Awards will open in early October. 

Below you can read more about some of our Q4 winners from those who nominated them. 

Ella Morris, Student Veterinary Nurse, Burch Tree Vets – We Care 

Ella truly embodies our We Care values by putting animals, people and the community at the heart of everything she does. 

While balancing the demands of her vet nurse studies, Ella has dedicated countless hours to community projects. She completed the Moonlight Walk to raise money for a local charity and successfully nominated a local animal rescue for the Community Grants Fund, helping them secure a valuable donation. 
 
Most impressively, Ella has planned and organised a charity open day at the practice, coordinating local businesses, charities and activities to create an event that will raise funds for animal welfare while strengthening our relationship with the local community. 

Michelle McLeod, Senior Marketing Manager, UK SOC – We Dare 

Michelle is constantly looking beyond the current way of working to identify innovative opportunities to create greater impact across the business. 
 
With the Puppy & Kitten Starter Pack, Michelle recognised that some practices were already seeing great results from local initiatives and saw the opportunity to turn this into something much bigger. She challenged the team to think differently and transformed a local offer into a national service, enabling practices across the estate to benefit from a consistent approach to attracting new clients. 

Michael Roberts, Senior Vet, White Cross Vets – We Share 

Michael embodies the principle of sharing knowledge and best practices through everything he does. Whether he is mentoring newly qualified vets, supporting experienced colleagues, teaching students, or working alongside veterinary nurses, Michael is always generous with his time and expertise. 

His passion for helping others also extends beyond the clinical team as he takes the time to explain diagnoses and treatment options clearly to clients, ensuring they feel informed, respected, and confident in the decisions they make for their pets. For students and nurses, he is an approachable mentor who encourages questions, shares practical experience, and inspires continuous learning. 

The full list of Q4 FY26 Regional Brilliant People winners is as follows:


Region A 

Vicky Galpin, Head Nurse, Eden & Border Vets, We Care   

Linda Milne, RVN, Ardene Vets, We Care   

Louise Bawden, Practice Director, Arg Beiyn Veterinary Practice, We Dare  

Sophie Henderson, Receptionist, Seafield Vets, We Dare   

Rosemary Campbell, Receptionist, Cedarmount Vets, We Share   

Lorn McDougall, Administrator & RVN, Nithsdale Vets, We Share 


Region B  

Ella Morris, SVN , Burch Tree Vets, We Care   

Emily Woodburn, RVN, Grove Vet, We Care   

Billy Stuart, Vet Surgeon, Hallam Veterinary Centre, We Dare  

Fiona Payne, Receptionist, Cedarwood Veterinary, We Dare   

Michael Roberts, Senior Vet, White Cross Vets, We Share

Samantha Jordan, Head Receptionist, Yorkshire Vets, We Share 


Region C  

Katie Hanks, Vet Surgeon, Blenheim Vets, We Care   

Josephine Smith, Administrator, St Georges Vets, We Care   

Sarah Simkin, RVN, BHE Newport Vets, We Dare  

Rebecca Groves, Head Vet Nurse, Oakfield Vets, We Dare   

Nichola Steel, Vet Surgeon, Fyrnwy Equine Vets, We Share   

Caitlin Morris, Vet, Leonard Brothers Vets, We Share 
 

Region D  

Alison Townsend, RVN, Kingfisher Vets, We Care   

Sam Close, Head Vet Nurse, Animal House Vets, We Care   

Hannah Williams, RVN, Dorset Coast Vets, We Dare  

Sally Coles, Practice Director, Deane Vets, We Dare   

Matshidiso Gardiner, Lead Vet, Beaumont Vets, We Share   

Kathleen Bellworthy, RVN, Emerson's Green Vets, We Share


Region E  

Katharine Richardson, RVN, Bishops Veterinary Surgery, We Care   

Anna Withers, Vet Surgeon, Castle Vets, We Care   

Phoebe Varney, VCA, Maltman Cosham Vets, We Dare  

Nikolaos Panteloukas, Vet Surgeon, The Neighbourhood Vets, We Dare   

Charlie Jordan, Client Care Manager, Easipetcare, We Share   

Nurdan Ibis, Vet Surgeon, Eastbourne Vets, We Share 


Referrals 

Olivia Monsey, Finance Manager, Swift Referrals, We Care   

Caprice McWilliams, Admit & Discharge RVN, SCVS, We Care   

Jo Carrier, RVN, Pride Referrals, We Dare  

Chloe Haffenden, Client Relationship Manager, Frank. Pet Surgeons, We Dare   

Molly Cabourn, RVN, Pride Referrals, We Share   

Anastasia Izzard, Senior Vet Nurse, Blaise Referrals, We Share


SOC 

Laura Playforth, Group QI Director, Group SOC, We Care  

Pisit Akarasettakarn,  Stock Take Assistant, Group SOC, We Dare  

Duncan Fenning, Engineering Manager, Group SOC, Technology, We Share  

Jackie Flight, ER Specialist, UK SOC, We Care  

Michelle McLeod, Senior Marketing Manager, UK SOC, We Dare  

John Goulding, UK Head of Pricing, UK SOC, We Dare  

Siri Rouse, Area Support Manager, UK SOC, We Share