Humanimal Trust, the charity founded in 2014 by orthopaedic veterinary surgeon, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, is calling on medical and veterinary professionals and students to enter its Creative Awards 2025.
Featuring five different categories, including one specifically for medical, veterinary and associated health professionals and students, the Awards aim to encourage everyone to reflect on how One Medicine can benefit both humans and animals, and to express this though visual art or written word.
Entries can be anything from a short story or poem to artwork, photography or video, and the winner of the new category for professionals and students will receive a virtual, 1-2-1 with one of the judges - Intensive Care Consultant, author and
Humanimal Trust Patron, Dr Matt Morgan.
Dr Matt Morgan, said: “I became fascinated by the deep connections between human and animal health during my work as an ICU doctor. I saw parallels between animals surviving in extreme environments and patients battling severe illness. This is why I feel so strongly that bridging the gap between human and veterinary medicine is essential to advance health for all species, and why I wrote a book about One Medicine.
“Why aren’t doctors, vets and nurses training together at least in the pre-clinical years? This is where concepts like zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance and physiology are being taught - problems that cannot be solved without collaboration. Why are our academic departments separate? Why do we have separate conferences for the exact same disease in different species? Making practical changes like these would surely benefit all, but they do require an open mind and a different way of working.
“The Humanimal Trust’s Creative Awards are a great way of getting human and non-human medical professionals and students to think differently, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing the entries.”
Now in their third year, the 2025 Awards are themed around ‘We Are All Animals’, in celebration of the new, non-fiction
children’s book by the same name, co-written by bestselling author and Humanimal Trust Patron, Christopher Lloyd, which explores the fascinating similarities between all species.
Christopher will join Matt on the judging panel, in addition to Professor Noel Fitzpatrick and Managing Director of publishing company, What on Earth!, Nancy Feresten.
Research and Scientific Outreach Manager at Humanimal Trust, Andrea Short, who has written a
poem entitled ‘Reciprocity’ in the hope that it will inspire others to get creative, said: “Humanimal Trust exists to build a bridge between doctors, vets, allied professionals and researchers, so they are able to learn with and from one another, for the benefit of all species. To do that as effectively as possible, we know we need to educate the next generation of professionals about the similarities between all species - right from an early age - which is why our Creative Awards were originally designed for children aged between seven and eighteen.
“This year, we have expanded the categories to include professionals and students, and we are challenging them to think differently and to explore how the principles of One Medicine could shape a better and more ethical future for all species.”
Entries for the #CreativeAwards2025 should be submitted by 30 April and further information can be found at
www.humanimaltrust.org.uk