Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

Vets practice scoops award for magazine

- BY JOHN MCDOUGALL john.mcdougall@trinitymir­ror.com @JMacD1988

AFAMILY run veterinary group in Widnes has seen off competitio­n from a wide range of national brands and household names to win an award for its internal team magazine.

White Cross Vets circulates the 44 page magazine called Connected twice a year to its 185 strong team who work across 16 UK practices including one off Queensbury Way.

The magazine has just won the Success On A Shoestring category at The Institute Of Internal Communicat­ion’s annual awards. It faced publicatio­ns produced by the likes of Barclaycar­d, ASDA, Marston’s PLC, First Utility, Co-op Food and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The judging panel described Connected as the one magazine within their category that they wanted to read all the way through.

It contains articles from the team’s vets, nurses, client care co-ordinators and support office staff, covering everything from clinical updates, special case studies and practicesp­ecific news, to overall business updates and human interest stories.

It’s also complement­ed by a weekly news email circulated to the entire team.

Justin Phillips, head of marketing at White Cross Vets, said: “Connected magazine is designed to be informativ­e, engaging and easy-to-read, so winning this award is a huge coup.

“Since we launched the magazine six years ago, it has evolved into a valuable communicat­ions tool that keeps our fast-growing team up to date with everything that’s happening within White Cross Vets and across the veterinary industry as a whole.”

Other employment initiative­s White Cross Vets offers include days off and cakes for birthdays, a healthcare scheme and subsidised Fitbits and gym membership­s.

Earlier this year White Cross Vets was named in The Sunday Times Best 100 Best Small Companies To Work For league table for the fifth successive year.

The company also scooped the Society Of Practising Veterinary Surgeons’ inaugural Wellbeing Award which judged entrants on everything from developmen­t opportunit­ies through to stress reduction initiative­s and how they promote wellbeing. ●

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 ??  ?? Justin Phillips, head of marketing at White Cross Vets, with Connected magazine and the IOIC Award
Justin Phillips, head of marketing at White Cross Vets, with Connected magazine and the IOIC Award

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