THE red carpet was rolled out at Nottingham Trent University's Brackenhurst campus in Southwell on Wednesday when the Earl of Wessex officially opened the East Midlands' first state-of-the-art veterinary nursing centre and animal unit.
He gave the royal seal of approval to the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences' facility as part of a special visit to the area, which also saw him meet dignitaries at the town's Minster School to mark its move to new premises.
- VIDEO: Minster School royal visit
Brackenhurst's new £1.5m unit houses state-of-the-art equipment and facilities and will be used to provide veterinary nursing courses accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
Built with support from East Midlands Development Agency, the unit is already attracting 'considerable' interest from prospective students across the country and offers life-long learning opportunities and career advancement in the profession.
Said Prof Jenny Saint, Dean of the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences: "The new unit is a fantastic facility which the university can be very proud of. We're looking forward to our students and staff making the most of everything that it has to offer, and we're delighted that the Earl of Wessex could be here to officially open the facility."
Prof Saint accompanied Prince Edward on a tour of the new unit to meet staff and students before Vice Chancellor, Prof Neil Gorman, invited him to unveil a plaque to officially open the new unit.
Among the dignitaries joining the Prince on the visit was the Lord Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire Sir Andrew Buchanan and Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior –– who is the only veterinary surgeon to be appointed to the House of Lords.
The full article contains 291 words and appears in Sherwood & Rainworth newspaper.
